CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 - Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: comamq@ambon.wasantara.net.id
Ambon, January 1, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report no. 220
1. BOMB BLAST – On Saturday, December 29, 2001, a bomb was thrown under a
parked government owned passenger bus on the Sultan Khairun Road, just between
the governor’s Office building and restaurant Halim in Ambon. There were no victims.
2. LATEST AND PROBABLY LAST DESIGN OF FAROUK MOHAMMAD – Before
leaving Ambon to begin his new task as the governor of the PTIK (Pendidikan Tinggi
Ilmu Kepolisian – Police Science Academy) in Jakarta (see Report 216 no. 1),
Brigader General Farouk Muhammad Saleh informed the press of two new stratagems
to be effectuated in coping with the recent relentless terrorist operations in Ambon,
namely:
(1) In order to coordinate the security forces more efficiently, the Police Brimob forces
(consisting of 980 members in Ambon) will be put under direct command of the
military chief commander.
(2) To foster inter-civilian mutual trust and tranquillity by providing the traditional
civilian leaders in each neighbourhood of Ambon with certain distinctive conspicuous
emblems such as for instance a special jacket. The motorbike taxi-drivers (the
so-called “ojek”-s) should also be given a special distinctive item, for instance a
special helmet.
3. FURTHER REDUCING OF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY – Again an electric generator
(of 8 megawatt) broke down. During day-time often the city of Ambon and
neighbouring villages have no electricity, causing many employees idling their time
away. During the evening half of the subscribers will have to burn their candles and
little oillamps if they do not possess a private electric generator. The Coordinating
Minister of Economic Affairs during a recent visit to Ambon promised to take care of
this problem. Ambon for the time being has now to do with the promise that probably
electricity will be back to normal in June 2002. The electricity getting on an off –
almost every day several times – does not attribute much to the good temper of the
employees and the well-b! eing of computers, facsimiles, TV-sets and other delicate
technical devices.
4. FAIRLY PEACEFUL NEW-YEAR’S CELEBRATION – The only incident on New
Year’s Eve was a bomb blast in the neighbourhood of Batugantung-Dalam. A kind of
grenade was thrown through the roof of a house and landed in a bedroom where it
exploded, injuring a woman. Apart from this occurrence the New Year was welcomed
in Ambon joyously by both Christians and Muslims, each in their own quarters.
5. HAPPY NEW YEAR – We wish our subscribers a Happy New Year. May all of
your wishes come true.
C.J.Böhm MSc,
Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
Received via e-mail from : Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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