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, September 13, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS -- Report No. 318
1. VISIT BY SUPREME POLICE COMMANDER – National Supreme Police
Commander (Kapolri) Da'i Bachtiar paid a brief visit to Ambon on Thursday,
September 12. He acknowledged to the newsmedia that the fact that not any of those
guilty of all recent misdeeds can be located, clearly shows lack of synergy among the
intelligence personnel. Several high ranking police personnel that seem to feel wearied
having served in Ambon for a long time already, will before long be replaced, he said.
He further said that on national level an intelligence analysis is underway to explore
on any possible connection between the conflicts in Aceh, Posso, the Moluccas and
Papua. In this context, probably influenced by one-sided information, he called the
Moluccas conflict a case of separatist aspirations.
During the afternoon, on his way back to the airport, Da'i Bachtiar paid a brief visit to
the Mobile Brigade headquarters at Tantui, at the eastern end of the city of Ambon.
On June 21, 2000, this complex was destroyed (see Reports 1 and 2). However for
the larger part it has been rebuild now. Passing through Passo he stopped by at the
police training centre there.
2. INVESTIGATION RESULTS ON THE KULUR CASE – Following the killing of two
children and a young women on the beach of Kulur by gunfire on September 8, 2002,
police investigators have found at the site 20 standard military bullet cartridges of four
different kinds of rifles. However, Moluccas Police chief Sunarko could not ascertain
that indeed these standard military rifles had been used by the killers. He further said
that the shooting had taken place about 400 meters from a security post where
Mobile Brigade police personnel were stationed. However, when together with a
number of Kulur residents they arrived at the shooting site, the assailants had already
fled into the nearby forest. Meanwhile – according to "Siwalima" local newspaper –
the Kulur Association at Ambon went up to Police Chief Sunarko asking for replacing
the actual police personnel at Kulur by fresh troops.
3. LATUPATI DENY SUPPORTING ANY CANDIDATE – In our Report 314
(September 6, 2002) we said that the Latupati (gathering of regional adat elders) had
opted for Ir.Dr. M.Saleh Latuconsina to govern the Province of the Moluccas for a
second term. However, a significant number of village chiefs of Ambon and the
neighbouring Lease Islands now deny to have opted for any candidate for this office.
The newsmedia – they said – had been misled by a gathering that unjustly pretended
to represent the local adat chiefs.
Up to now ten names have emerged of possible candidates for this office.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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