CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 -- Ambon 97124 -- Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: crisiscentre01@hotmail.com
Ambon, May 21, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 437
1. STILL THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES IN THE NORTH MOLUCCAS - The
commercial SCTV television newsbulletin (Liputan6.com) reports that - though already
three years have passed since the unrest in the North Moluccas came to an end -
there are still at least some 28.000 refugees spread over North Celebes, the
Moluccas, Ternate etc. Their current situation in many cases is deplorable. The
principal reason they are still staying on as refugees or IDP-s is lack of funds for their
return and rebuilding their homes. Governor Thaib Armaiyn of the North Moluccas
province, says that to this end he needs at least 70 billion rupiahs (about EUR
6.730.000,-). Most refugees say they want to go back as soon as possible, but - they
say - they have the impression that the government does not care.
2. INJURED BY FIRING FROM SPEEDBOAT - In the night following May 19, Franky
Sahertian (25), was wounded while fishing in the waters off Wayame, a village on the
opposite shore of the bay of Ambon, by a salvo of gunfire that originated from an
unidentified speedboat.
3. WAAI SECURE - The residents of the christian village of Waai were traumatized
beyond imagination since July 6, 2000, during the first period of unrest (see Moluccas
Reports no. 12 onwards). So when last April 25 in the city of Ambon renewed unrest
broke loose, many villagers started to gather their most important belongings, ready
to flee, as Waai is encircled by four muslim villages: Tulehu, Liang, Tial and
Tengah-Tengah. As soon as the village chiefs and elders of these villages learned
about these preparations, they hastened to go to Waai and beseech its residents not
to leave their homesteads, because: "the four muslim villages around Waai guarantee
the safety of the residents of Waai". Likewise the christians of nearby Suli were
reassured that no evil would overcome them from the side of the muslims.
4. ALEX MANUPUTTY CALLS FOR PROBE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES - Alex
Manuputty (56) had an interview with the Associated Press in Los Angeles last May
19, 2004. In this interview Manuputty called for a United Nations probe of alleged
human rights abuses in the Moluccas. He also said an international peacekeeping
force should be sent there.
5. MEGAWATI AND HUSBAND TO VISIT AMBON - President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, together with her husband, Taufiq Kiemas, will arrive at Pattimura
International Airport, Ambon, at 1.00 p.m. tomorrow. A helicopter will bring her to the
city of Ambon, where she will stay for about 2½ hours, inaugurating some projects
and meeting with people's representatives. The barricade at the Jl.Sultan
Chairun/Jl.AY Patty has been removed by the muslims, so as not to hinder traffic
round the Merdeka field, where the helicopter will land, right in front of the nearly
finished new seven story governmental office building.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
