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, April 28, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 424
1. FOURTH DAY OF THE CONFLICT - Gunfire and explosions rocked Ambon the
whole night long, leaving at least eight wounded. Apart from many residents' homes,
also the recently rebuilt protestant Nazareth church went up in flames. TV showed the
church members going up to the police headquarters. With tears in their eyes they
sang national songs to prove their allegiance to the Undivided Republic of Indonesia.
They vehemently declared that christians are not second-class citizens and have the
fundamental right to be protected against terrorists and criminals.
2. QUOTATION FROM A PRESS RELEASE OF CRISIS CENTER PGI - On April 27,
2004, the PGI Crisis Center in Jakarta published a press release on the situation in
Ambon. "PGI" stands for Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia". We restrict
ourselves to one item (summarized from the original rather lengthy text in Indonesian):
The conflict is unjustly said to be between the separatist FKM / RMS group versus
the Pro-NKRI ("Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia" = The Undivided Republic of
Indonesia) group. This identification legitimizes the continuation of violence by the
security forces, by the opposing parties and by those who declare themselves to be in
solidarity with one of both parties.
This identification has been publicly used by Soetjipto, deputy chairman National
Legislative Council (DPR RI) (see Suara Pembaharuan Newspaper 27 April 2004) and
by the minister for Political and Security Affairs, Hari Sabarno (see Kompas
Newspaper 27 April 2004). This identification is used also in articles that can be found
in several news media, among others in Kompas, Suara Pembaharuan and Republika
newspapers of April 27, 2004 (quotation from "Republika": "The pro-NKRI mass
burned the Moluccas Indonesian Christian University [UKIM] which is considered as
the headquarters of the caderization (formation) of RMS separatists").
3. STANCE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN JAKARTA - "The Jakarta Post" newspaper
mentions a meeting of national religious leaders in Jakarta yesterday, in which they
accused "third parties" of inciting the renewed violence in Ambon, and urged police to
take firm action where necessary.
Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian leaders from the
Indonesian Committee for Religion and Peace said that "provocation" was the best
explanation for the violence that had erupted again in Ambon since last Sunday. The
meeting was held at the office of the country's second-largest Muslim organization,
Muhammadiyah. Committee member Din Syamsuddin said, "We call on people to
resist being provoked by third parties" that have a "political motive".
Sigit Pamudji of the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) also said that, based on
experience, "certain parties" had tried to create the image that people in the
Moluccas could not solve their own problems, and provoked the conflict for their own
benefit.
Sociologist Thamrin Amal Tamagola said the clash, which started on Sunday, was
the culmination of several problems. The trigger was not the hoisting of the flag of the
separatist Republic of South Maluku (RMS) movement, he said, but because "the
police were not professional when they guarded the separatists during the rally as
they celebrated the RMS anniversary in Ambon's main street". Other parties,
including House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, also blamed the police and other security
personnel for their failure to control the situation.
4. DISEMBARKING PASSENGERS - Among the 25 passengers that came from
Kupang and were molested after disembarking from the MS Doloronda ship (see
yesterday's report), there was a group of 14 young people, sent by a trading company
for some kind of market training and exploration in Ambon: 9 catholics, 2 protestants
and 3 muslims. Their being abused by a muslim crowd, resulted in the death of two
catholics. Four other catholics - three girls and a boy - have disappeared - maybe
abducted.
5. CABINET MINISTER VISITS AMBON - The minister for Political and Security
Affairs (MenKo PolKam), Hari Sabarno, came to Ambon today. However, we learn that
he restricted his visit to a short stay at the airport, where he was informed on the
actual situation, after which he and his entourage departed again.
6. JA'FAR UMAR THALIB - Jakarta based "Republika" newspaper informs us that
former Laskar Jihad leader Ustadz Ja'far Umar Thalib declared that he is ready to
send his men to Ambon in order to protect the Undivided Republic of Indonesia if it
becomes clear that police and other security forces do not succeed in bringing the
conflict to an end. He - among other things - also stated, that in Ambon there are
more policemen under commando of the RMS than under commando of the Police
Chief.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
