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 26, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report no. 226
1. VISIT STATE MINISTERS – Some Cabinet Ministers and chief security officers
arrivid in Ambon yesterday, January 25, 2001. The group consisted of Coordinating
Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhyono, Coordinating
Minister for People’s Welfare Yusuf Kalla, Indonesian Military Chief of General Affairs
Lt.Gen.Djamari Chaniago, National Police Chief Gen. Da’i Achtiar and some
government officials.
Having been welcomed at the Pattimura airport of Ambon at Laha, which lies on the
opposite side of the bay, local TV showed the group making two stops during the
travel (by road) of the 40-odd kilometers to the city of Ambon. The first stop was at
Wayame, a village that has become widely known for the uninterrupted peaceful
coexistence and intermingling of the local muslims and christians since the start of
the unrest in the Moluccas three years ago. Having rounded the bay, a second stop
was made at the equally well-known refugee camp at the naval base of Halong, where
christian and muslim refugees live in peace together. Speaking in Wayame, the
ministers declared that they came with a mission of peace, brotherhood and unity.
Ir.Yusuf Kalla hoped that soon the Moluccas would become one mega-Wayame, the
politcal leaders of the Moluccas following the example of the village chief, Dang
Hunihuwa.
After visiting Ambon the group will leave for Ternate, capital of the Province of the
North Moluccas.
2. IMPROVEMENT MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP – Relations between christians and
muslims in the villages on the South coast of West Seram have much improved lately.
Various sources report that in the regencies (“kecamatan”) of Kairatu and adjoining
Amahai, in many villages christians and muslims socialize and live in peace together
now. Life in villages like Waisarissa up to Latuhualoy (kecamatan Kairatu), Haruru and
Waipo (kecamatan Amahai, near the local capital Masohi) is back near to normal.
The village chief of Haruru, Mrs. H.Matoke, declared to “Siwalima” daily that this
peaceful situation in her village has been going on uninterruptedly for almost one year
already.
3. SITUATION IN AMBON – In Ambon the situation is still rather tense though since
January 13th there have hardly been any acts of violence involving the two
communities or the security forces. The new Police Chief Commander, Sunarko Danu
Ardianto, says he is carrying on the strategy of his predecessor, Farouk Mohammad
Saleh.
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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