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, January 13, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report no. 224
1. ASSAULT ON RUTONG – It has been a long time since a large-scale attack took
place on the island of Ambon. However, in the early morning of Sunday, January 13,
2002, the Protestant Christian village of Rutong on the South coast of the island
suffered an attack by opposing forces that – coming from the Ambon neighbourhood
of Galunggung – had crosssed the peninsula of Leitimur toward Rutong. We are still
waiting for more precise and trustworthy information. Anyway, the alternative route for
the christians from Ambon to the large village of Passo may thus be obstructed.
2. FINDING A SOLUTION FOR THE CONFLICT – The Minister of Welfare (“Menko
Kesra”), Jusuf Kalla, declared last Friday, January 11, in Jakarta that in order to end
the conflict in the Moluccas the government will try and apply the model of the Malino
reconciliatory meeting that recently successfully ended the conflict in Poso, Central
Sulawesi. However – he said – since the conflict in the Moluccas has been going on
so much longer and in savageness is “five times that of Poso”, reconciliation will not
so easily be secured as in Malino.
3. WHAT KEEPS THE CONFLICT GOING ON – This is an often asked question. It is
sufficiently evident that the conflict now is mainly restricted to the city of Ambon and
neighbouring villages. Though there still is much mutual mistrust and ill-feeling
between Christians and Muslims, however, up to yesterday there were hardly any
large-scale attacks and destructive activities any more. Police Chief Commander
Farouk Mohamad Saleh is of the opinion that recent bombings and other terrorist
activities have their source not in one of the opposing parties, but are carried out by a
third party, that wants the conflict to go on for reasons of business, specifically to
foster the need of weaponry and drugs. Military Chief Commander Mustopo, asked
whether any security forces are involved in this trade of weaponry and drugs,
answered that he did not rule out the possibility.
4. MILITARY WITHDRAWN FROM GALUNGGUNG – Following the burning of the two
cafés in the Muslim neighbourhood of Galunggung on January 8, local residents were
very disappointed that the military security forces had not done any effort to forestall
this sad happening or to prevent it to occur. So in the early morning (3.30 a.m.) of
January 10, a mass of protesters held a demonstration in front of the insurance office
“Jasa Rajarja” in Galunggung, where the 408/Suhbrastha Infantery Battalion was stationed.
It ended with the building being thrown at with stones, shattering a lot of
windowpanes. Battalion Commander Djoko Suprapto consequently withdrew his
troops from the area.
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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