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, February 24, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 241
1. INACCURATE REPORTING BY JAKARTA POST – On Friday 15, 2002, English
language "Jakarta Post" daily newspaper, based on information provided by "Antara"
News Agency – a usually trustworthy source – published a startling report on the
immediate aftermath of the recent Muslim-Christian meeting in Malino. We quote:
"…In their protest against peace, a vocal group of Muslims condemned the peace
delegation as they were on their way from Pattimura airport [Laha, Ambon – cjb] to
the Maluku Governor's office in the city. Another group, apparently from the local
Christian community also pelted the cars carrying Muslim delegates with stones as
they passed the navigation seaport area route [meant is obviously the muslim
neighbourhood of Waihaong,where the Muslim delegation disembarked from the
speedboat that took them from the airport to the city – cjb] to the Governor's office. A
window of a delegate's car was broken in the incident. ‘Antara' news agency reported
that the situation became very tense when hundreds of Muslims gathered at the
Al-Fatah Mosque, only 200 meters away from the rock throwing Christians…"
The home-coming of the delegates, indeed, was not without disturbance: see our
Report No. 237 from February 15, 2002. But whoever succeeded in infiltrating "Antara"
and the "Jakarta Post" letting them proffer these erroneous and provocative pieces of
news?
2. DISSIDENTS – A group of nine (others say: eleven) Muslims, calling themselves
"Forum Musyawarah Umat Muslim Maluku" = Moluccas Muslim Meeting Forum, does
not feel fully satisfied with the Moluccas Agreement of Malino. Led by their chairman
Husni Putuhena they are now in Jakarta, trying to find support for their stance. Their
lobbying with the Minister for Political and Security Affairs Yudhoyono did not yield
any success; he even warned them not to create in Jakarta a web of obstructors to
the Agreement.
3. STATE OF CIVIL EMERGENCY NOT TO BE LIFTED – Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sees no urgency in lifting
the state of civil emergency in the Moluccas. He said that the peace campaign should
be fully accepted by everybody first. However – he said – perhaps an exception could
be made for some areas in the North Moluccas. The "Civil Emergency State" for the
Moluccas and North Moluccas was declared on June 27, 2000 during the presidency
of Abdurrahman Wahid.
4. WARNING AGAINST EXCESSIVE OPTIMISM – During an interview that was
broadcasted by local TV, Governor M.Saleh Latuconsina warned the residents of
Ambon island not to overreact to the Maluku Agreement, as if all strife between the
parties were over now. He said he noticed people from the (Muslim) village of Tulehu
already starting to pass through the large (Christian) village of Passo and that
residents of Passo started to endeavour following the road through (Muslim held)
Galunggung and Batumerah. How easily can this "Himmelhoch Jauchzen" end up in
"Zum Tode betrübt" (Rejoicing up to Heaven – Grieving to Death)!
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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