The Jakarta Post, May 22, 2004
Muslim protests as Megawati visits Ambon
AMBON, Maluku (AFP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri was greeted by hundreds
of Muslim protesters on Saturday as she made her first visit to the city of Ambon
since 38 people died in sectarian violence last month.
About 500 students urged Megawati to take action against a mainly Christian
separatist movement, the South Maluku Republic (RMS), as she held talks with
religious and Maluku provincial officials during the brief visit, which lasted several
hours.
Megawati, who is seeking another term in the July 5 presidential election, later
traveled on to Ternate in North Maluku. She is scheduled to visit Papua on Sunday.
Thirty-eight people died and over 100 were injured during more than a week of
communal violence in Ambon, which was sparked by a parade by the separatists on
April 25.
An international think-tank this week said both national and local governments
responded poorly to the Ambon strife.
Ambon was ravaged by three years of Muslim-Christian clashes which left more than
5,000 dead before a February 2002 peace pact ended the violence.
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