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, June 4, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 293
1. HALMAHERA: MUSLIMS INVOLVED IN PROTESTANT SYNOD – The principal
Protestant Church of the large North Moluccas island of Halmahera is the GMIH
(Gereja Masehi Injili Halmahera = Evangelical Messiah Church of Halmahera). This
Church started their six days’ quintennial Synod on June 1, 2002. The Muslim MUI
and somel Muslim organisations will play a significant role in it by means of delivering
several discourses.
2. NINETEEN ADDITIONAL JUDGES – In order to cope with the many still pending
juridical processes, 19 additional judges will immediately be sent to the Moluccas and
North Moluccas. They will be assigned in Tobelo and Soa-Siu (North Moluccas), in
Masohi (capital of the Central Moluccas, Seram) and in Ambon. The number of judges
that is dispatched to Ambon is three, thus bringing the total number of judges in
Ambon on six.
3. POLITICAL STRIFE IN S.E.MOLUCCAS – For several months already a turbulent
competition is going on in Tual, the capital of the “Kabupaten” (sub-province) of the
South-East Moluccas, encompassing the archipelagos of the Kei and Aru Islands. It
is about who is to become the “Bupati” (head) of this Kabupaten for the period
2002-2007. Last May 30 a group of Heri Kudubun supporters, while boarding the
motorboat “Bintang Laut” at the anchorage of Watdek/Tual, was attacked by
supporters of Taher Hanubun, resulting in a number of victims among the former: three
killed, eight wounded. This tragic event has no connection with the Moluccas conflict,
except that it may be proof of decreasing respect for human lives.
4. ELECTIONS IN THE CENTRAL MOLUCCAS – On June 3, 2002, the Legislative
Council of the Sub-Province of the Central Moluccas in Masohi, elected the new
Bupati and Vice Bupati for the Central Moluccas: Ir. Abdullah Tuasikal and Ir. Imanuel
Seipalla, both of the Golkar Party. The election took place orderly and the result was
acknowledged chivalrously by the other parties.
5. ENHANCING EFFECTIVITY OF COUNTERING UNREST – Some much needed
additional equipment which had been asked for by former military chief commander
Brig.Gen. Mustopo, recently arrived in Ambon: apart from standard weaponry and
explosives, the shipment from Military HQ in Jakarta included mine-detectors,
tear-gas and two fire rescue vehicles.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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