LAKSAMANA.Net, April 30, 2004 11:58 PM
'Shoot on Sight' Order in Ambon
Laksamana.Net - Authorities have issued a shoot-on-sight order in Ambon, the capital
of Maluku province, in an effort to contain bloody religious clashes that have claimed
38 lives over the past five days.
"The shoot-on-sight order will hopefully prevent the conflicting groups from engaging in
more clashes, including killings and arson," Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu
was quoted as saying Friday (30/4/04) by state news agency Antara.
He said that under the order, any people – regardless of their religion – will be shot if
they are seen inciting unrest.
The governor further said security personnel were being deployed to locations where
snipers have shot paramilitary police and innocent people over recent days. Police
have also been ordered to conduct "sweeping operations” on houses to look for
weapons.
Ralahalu said he had decided on the tough new security measures after consultation
with the Pattimura Regional Military Command, Maluku Police and the Maluku High
Prosecutor's Office.
Violence continued in Ambon on Friday, with reports of at least one person killed and
18 others injured as gunfire, explosions and arson attacks continued to rock parts of
the city.
Antara said six people were injured, one of the fatally, when shootings and explosions
occurred at night in Wainitu neighborhood.
Agence France-Presse earlier reported that 13 people were taken to the Al-Fatah
Hospital with burns and injuries caused by home-made bomb explosions before dawn
after fighting in three neighborhoods: Tanah Lapang Kecil, Jalan Baru and Trikora.
The unrest started on Sunday after Christian separatists from the Maluku Sovereignty
Front (FKM) staged a parade to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the outlawed South
Maluku Republic (RMS). Nationalist Muslims hurled stones and verbal abuse at the
separatists, sparking deadly clashes between the two groups. Gunfire erupted and
hundreds of buildings were torched as the chaos escalated.
Radical Islamic group Laskar Jihad on Tuesday vowed to send thousands of fighters
to Maluku if the government fails to contain the violence. The military responded by
saying said it would prevent them from traveling to Ambon to inflame the situation.
9,000 Refuges
About 9,000 residents of Ambon have fled their homes and moved to safer areas since
the conflict started on April 25, Maluku Social Affairs Office head Abdul Rahim
Uluputty said Friday (30/4/2004).
He emphasized the figure does not include people who still remain internally
displaced following sectarian violence in the Malukus over 1999-2002.
Most of the refugees are being sheltered in "safe” neighborhoods, public buildings, a
sports center and at the Al-Fatah Mosque, he added.
Uluputty said his office had 350 tons of rice to distribute to the refugees and had
started handing out 18 tons since Tuesday.
"But because of the uncertain security condition we have asked the military and
police to help with the distribution,” he was quoted as saying by detikcom online
news portal.
He also said his office was awaiting assistance from the central government but none
had arrived yet.
Legislators Visit
A team from the House of Representatives' Commission I on defense and security
affairs on Friday visited Ambon to investigate the cause of the violence. The legislators
also urged the military and police to remain neutral and professional.
Team leader Franky Kayhatu of parliament's military/police faction described the
situation as an emergency and said the commission would later summon Indonesian
Defense Forces (TNI) commander general Endriartono Sutarto and National Police
chief General Dai Bachtiar.
He also said the commission would not blame the ongoing violence solely on RMS
supporters. "I'm certain the Ambonese will be angry if they are collectively described
as RMS."
Kayhatu said the FKM/RMS consists of only a handful of people who should be dealt
with in line with prevailing laws. "Let's entrust the upholders of the law to deal with the
problem. We should not personally play the role of judges."
Meanwhile, Maluku High Prosecutor's Office head Misri Djinin said cases were being
prepared against FKM/RMS supporters arrested after the initial violence. He said the
suspects may have to be tried in Jakarta if peace is not restored to Ambon.
More than 30 people, mostly Christians, have been arrested in connection with the
violence.
Acting Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Hari Sabarno has said
the leaders of the separatists would be flown to Jakarta for questioning.
Imagine No Religion
Religious Affairs Minister Said Agil Al-Munawar, speaking in Cairo on Thursday, said
the Ambon violence was not sparked by a religious dispute but was due to separatists
campaigning for the secession of Maluku from Indonesia.
"The Ambon riot was not religiously motivated. It was purely triggered by the act of a
separatist group in Indonesia's Maluku province," he was quoted as saying by Antara.
He urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and said the government was trying to
prevent the violence from spreading.
The minister had arrived in Egypt on April 27 to attend the 16th International Islamic
Conference. He returned to Jakarta on Friday.
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