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, December 19, 2001
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report no. 216
(upgraded)
1. POLICE CHIEF COMMANDER REPLACED – Last night during a ceremony in
Jakarta Brigader General Farouk Muhammad Saleh was unexpectedly replaced by
Brigader General Sunarko Danu Ardanto as the police chief commander of the
Moluccas. Sunarko is the fifth subsequent police chief commander during the three
years’ unrest in the Moluccas. Mr. Farouk Muhammad Saleh has been granted
promotion and will be the governor of the PTIK (Pendidikan Tinggi Ilmu Kepolisian –
Police Science Academy). He has been the police chief commander of the Moluccas
for three months.
2. NINE SPEEDBOAT PASSENGERS KILLED – At about 6.20 in morning of
December 19, the christian speedboat “Haturua”, powered by two Yamaha outboard
engines of 40 HP, left the anchorage of Galala, east of the city of Ambon, on its
routine voyage to Benteng / Gudang Arang at the western end of the city. Since only
from 7.00 a.m. onwards security forces guarantee escort to these passenger boats,
there were no military or police servicemen on board. When passing
Kapaha/Batumerah (muslim dominated), they initially were shot at from the shore,
then a speedboat, coming from Wayame on the oposite shore of the bay launched an
attack on the hapless “Hatarua”, ki! lling nine of the eleven people on board, most of
them women that were taking their merchandise (vegetables etc.) to the city of
Ambon. Since the helmsman was the first to be killed, the speedboat became an
easy prey for the attacking speedboat, so that all of the victims were shot in their
heads by bullets that spouted from military standard rifles. Of the two surviving
passengers one was unharmed, the other was seriously injured.
3. VIOLENCE NOT TO BE ANSWERED BY VIOLENCE – Several hours later the
chairman of the Moluccan Protestant Church (GPM) Synod, Dr. I.W.J. Hendriks,
could be seen praying while sitting in lotus pose under the national flag in front of the
Governor’s Office Building. From a distance, many people stood watching him in
silence, moved by this token of utter distress. Afterwards Minister Hendriks spoke to
those present and prayed together with them. Another half hour later the Governor
came out and embraced Mr. Hendriks while sobbing. However not a few of the
bystanders started to shout angrily because of the inapt way the Governor was
handling the whole re! cently emerging conflict situation. However, Mr. Hendriks tried
to convince the masses that violence should not be answered with violence.
The Governor reacted on this most recent slaughtering of innocent christians in the
usual meaningless and helpless way: ordering the military and police chief
commanders to trace the culprits and enhance their alertness.
4. AGAIN BOMB BLAST – On this same fatal December 19, at about 6.30 a.m., a
bomb exploded at the border of Galala-Tantui, just east of the city of Ambon, were
christians and muslims usually exchange merchandise. One civilian was killed; his
remnants were thus that he could not be recognised, neither could be ascertained
whether he was either a christian or a muslim.
5. MAIL VAN THREATENED – On this same day, at about 9.30 a.m., three military
of Battalion 408/SBH, escorting a mail van that carried mail from the airport at Laha to
the city of Ambon, narrowly escaped being lynched by angry christian masses when
passing through the christian village of Passo, about 15 km east of Ambon city.
6. CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION – The chairman of the Ambon
Legislative Council, Drs. Lucky Wattimury, on December 19 declared to local
newspaper “Siwalima” that the Indonesian Government at last should confess that it
is not able to handle the unrest in the Moluccas and cannot protect its citizens
properly. It therefore should ask for intervention of a foreign country that is acceptable
for both christians and muslims.
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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