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 30, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 427
1. MUI SECRETARY ON THE CONFLICT - Muslim Clerics Council (MUI) secretary
Nasir Rahawarin declared: "The situation is critical. I'm afraid that this is going to
continue. The security forces are not reacting quickly enough." Mr. Rahawarin said if
security forces failed to control the violence it could spread, with hardliners from both
sides forming well-armed militia, just as they did three years ago. "There are many
youths who have no established way of living, they have no work, no money and it is
very easy to mobilise them," he said. Both Muslim and Christian leaders say that the
conflict was ignited by a small number of radicals from both sides, and that most
people just want peace.
2. PUAN MAHARANI COMES WITH A MESSAGE FROM MEGAWATI - President
Megawati Soekarnoputri's youngest daughter, Puas Maharani, came to Ambon
yesterday on a humanitarian mission and in order to send a message of comfort from
her mother, Megawati, to the citizens of Ambon city. She visited the Al'Fatah hospital
and Bhakti Rahayu hospital and refugees sites of both communities.
3. NOCTURNAL FIGHTING - Once again the neighbourhoods of Tanah Lapang Kecil
("Talake") and Waringin became the targets of criminals and terrorists. The attack
was launched at 01.00 a.m. this morning and went on until dawn. Several dozens of
houses opposite the Rehoboth Church were destroyed by fire. There are no reports of
any casualities. Many people assure and testify that in most Muslim attacks regular
soldiers are involved - also that it was them that burned down the Nazareth Church the
day before yesterday. Time and again Christians, either in small groups or big crowds,
go up to police headquarters demanding that soldiers from outside Ambon be
withdrawn.
4. U.N. PERSONNEL WITHDRAWN FROM AMBON - Following the burning of the
Moluccas HQ of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UN OCHA) at the start of the conflict last Sunday, all UN personnel have been
withdrawn from the Moluccas. Though for the time being outside the Moluccas,
nevertheless there will be some coordination of activities in cooperation with the local
government, thus was said in a press release by Laksamita Noviera from the OCHA
Information and Advocacy Department.
5. VARIOUS SHORTAGES - Due to blocked roads and vanished shared markets,
shortages emerge in various fields. Hundreds of traders in Mardika/Amans market,
considered a neutral area, have now moved to other markets in their own
communities: Muslim traders moved to Batumerah, while Christian traders shifted
their activities to the Batumeja and Batugajah roadsides. Most conspicuous is the
lack of petrol for cooking stoves: people have to wait in long queues for some bottles
of petrol, of which the price has gone up drastically. Also the supply of cooking oil,
vegetables and fish is restricted. Stocks of rice and noodles, too, within short will be
done with.
6. PERSISTING RUMOURS ON ARRIVAL OF MUSLIM WARRIORS - Though
probably untrue, however, people, especially the Christian community, are terrified by
rumours that 12.000 Laskar Jihad warriors should have left Java for Ambon.
Authorities assure that - if this should be true - these warriors will not be permitted to
disembark in Ambon (L' histoire se répète: these and similar songs were also sung
four years ago, without being implemented).
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
