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 12, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 294
1. VISIT TO AMBON BY VICE-PRESIDENT – Vice-President Hamzah Haz, since
taking office, has been entrusted by the President to take special care of conflict
areas, including the Moluccas. Yesterday, accompanied by a group of high officials
from Jakarta, he paid his first visit to Ambon. In coming to Ambon he responded to an
invitation by the "Group of Eleven", calling themselves "Forum Musyawarah Umat
Muslim Maluku" = Moluccas Muslim Meeting Forum (see Report 241 –
Febr.24,2002). The Provincial and Town's authorities, though initially a little baffled as
they had officially been informed on this visit only very belatedly, nevertheless had
made the necessary preparations to make it a non-political visit-for-all.
2. VISIT TO SOYA – In order not to evoke similar criticism like he had to endure
following his visit to Laskar Jihad leader Yafar Umar Thalib in his detention in Jakarta,
Hamzah Haz, having arrived at about 11.45 a.m. at Pattimura Airport, Ambon, went
straight to the Christian mountain village of Soya, at a distance of about 5 kilometers
East of the city of Ambon. This village had been attacked last April 28, leaving 12
dead and 13 injured, 35 houses and the old venerable protestant GPM church
destroyed (see Reports 270-272). On local radio and TV broadcasts he could be
heard and seen engaged in dialogue with the local residents, also, visibly moved,
listening to the outcry of a sobbing woman that had lost two of her children in the
carnage. He promised extra protection to Soya in order to prevent any such thing to
happen again. He also donated a hundred million rupiahs (± US$ 11,760.-) as a
contribution for rebuilding the destroyed church.
3. MEETING WITH LOCAL LEADERS – The next stop was the aula of the military
Masariku 733 complex ("Benteng Victoria") in the centre of the city of Ambon, where
an official meeting was held with Muslim and Christian representatives of the local
government, adat elders, religious leaders, leaders of youth organizations, Malino
delegates etc.
In his speech, governor M.S.Latuconsina reported that the Moluccas Agreement of
Malino had not immediately produced the so much yearned for change for the better:
there had been serious disturbances following the Agr eement, such as the bomb
explosion in the Yan Paays Street (April 3), the burning of the Governmental Office
building (April 3), the RMS-flag hoisting (April 25), the attack on Soya (April 28) and
two fatal attacks on speedboats.
The secretary of the Muslim Malino delegation, Nasir Rahawarin, stressed three
principles to be fulfilled: humanity, justice and nationalism.
Tony Pariela, chairman of the Christian Malino delegation, emphasized the need for
implementation of the Moluccas Agreement of Malino, and asked that all talking about
"Christian RMS" should be proportional to the factual situation.
In his address the Vice-President stressed the importance of the Moluccas
Agreement being accepted by all as a persisting condition for restoring law and order
in the Moluccas.
4. FURTHER MEETINGS – The crowded program that had been laid out for the
Vice-President included also visits to an Islamic health centre and an exemplary
elementary Islamic school in the Kebun Cengkeh area at the outskirts of the city, a
relaxed meeting ("silaturahmi") with representative fellow-Muslims, a meeting with his
own political party (PPP = Partei Persatuan Pembangunan) and, at the Al-Fatah
Mosque site, witnessing the surrender of weaponry by local muslims and laskar jihad
to the security forces. This weaponry included, among many other items, 24 standard
rifles. It was already rather late in the evening when the visitors returned to the airport
to board their plane back to Jakarta.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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