************************** Laporkan Situasi lingkungan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Atau Hub Eskol Hot Line Telp: 031-5479083/84 ************************** STOP THE BLOODSHED IN AMBON AND THE MALUKU ISLANDS, INDONESIA PEACEFUL RALLY BY THE AMBONESE COMMUNITY IN SYDNEY (IKABEMA) Saturday 8 January 2000 Background to the Rally: Muslim and Christian members and friends of IKABEMA (Ambonese Community in Sydney) took part in a rally on the steps of Pitt Uniting Church at 11am on Saturday 8 January 2000. The rally called on the Indonesian Government to take immediate and effective steps to end the conflict and ensure that members of its own security forces do not participate in or encourage the conflict. The majority of Christians and Muslims worldwide are opposed to the violence being carried out by a minority on the Maluku Islands. The rally followed a joint call by leaders of Australia's Muslim and Christian communities for peace in the Maluku Islands. The President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Mr Abbas Ahmed, and the President of the Uniting Church in Australia, the Rev John Mavor, issued a joint statement on 30 December 1999: "We ask the Indonesian Government to work with the Ambonese religious leaders towards a cessation of hostilities and to find a fresh basis for peaceful relationships between the communities of Ambon." Official figures put the number of people killed in the Maluku Islands at 400 in the past week, but sources on the ground estimate the figure is much higher with the number of dead in the thousands. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes. Houses, churches and mosques have been attacked and destroyed. Messages received from Ambon say that many people have been wounded and have no access to medical care. There is little food available. Statement read by members of IKABEMA during the rally: "Ambon is the capital city of Maluku, situated about 2,300 kms north-east of Jakarta and 1,000 kms north of Darwin. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, the Maluku islands have a roughly even balance of Christians and Muslims while about 90% of Indonesia's 202 million people are nominal Muslims. During World War II, a total of 779 Australians out of 1,131 members of the Gull Force died after the Japanese invaded and occupied the Dutch territory in 1942. Since 1967, every year an Australian contingent has returned to honour mates who did not make it home. In 1998, the group numbered 100, including families of prisoners of war. In wartime, the Ambonese would pass on messages, leave food and cigarettes for work parties and provide boats and safe houses for escapees. The Australian and Ambonese have developed firm friendships over the years. Local Ambonese drape a six-meter banner on the Mutiara pub in Ambon city that says: "Welcome back Gull Force". Anzac Day services have continued to be observed since 1978 at the Ambon war cemetery, which holds 694 of the Force's war dead. Despite centuries of peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians Ambonese, tensions in the region have caused violence, anarchy and murder. We are here today because we want the Australians and the world to know about the on-going clashes in Ambon and the Maluku islands. The bloody clashes started on 19 January 1999. Almost a year of bloody conflict between Muslims and Christians in Maluku has killed more than 1,000 people and injured more than 2,300, and more than 8,500 buildings have been damaged or burnt. Recent outbreaks on the islands of Ambon, Halmahera, Seram and Buru have been among the bloodiest since tensions first exploded, resulting in 700 deaths in the past two weeks. However, unconfirmed media reports in Jakarta claimed the figure was much higher. The Republika put the total death toll on Halmahera islands alone at almost 2,000 in the past eight days. There have been many protests against Christians mainly due to the local daily reports saying that more than 2,000 Muslims had been massacred in Halmahera. These reports, however, have been dismissed by the Indonesian military, and will be investigated. There are numerous reports that members of the security force are fuelling the conflict and are fighting on both sides. There are also reports that security forces have allowed militants from other parts of Indonesia to travel to the Maluku islands to join the conflict. Local civilian and community leaders have requested an international peace keeping force. They have rejected any further military intervention, saying it would worsen the on-going clashes. We are here as part of the people in Ambon to support their plight for peace and reconciliation between Muslims and Christians by asking for the international peace keeping force to replace the army and police in Ambon and the Maluku islands." ==================== "Sebab segala sesuatu adalah dari Dia, dan oleh Dia, dan kepada Dia: Bagi Dialah kemuliaan sampai selama-lamanya!" (Roma 11:36) *********************************************************************** Moderator EskolNet berhak menyeleksi tulisan/artikel yang masuk. Untuk informasi lebih lanjut, pertanyaan, saran, kritik dan sumbangan tulisan harap menghubungi [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bank Danamon Cab. Ambengan Plaza Surabaya, a.n. Martin Setiabudi Acc.No. 761.000.000.772 *********************************************************************** Kirimkan E-mail ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] dengan pesan: subscribe eskolnet-l ATAU unsubscribe eskolnet-l
