Tangan saya gemetar Soe ================================ JAKARTA-- This's the worst and most terrible tragedy of mankind. Only in one night, nearly 800 Muslim men from three villages of Tobelo Regency, Halmahera, North Molluca Province, Indonesia were slaughthered by the Christians. While the men were slaughtered, the women were raped on the street. This horrible genocide nightmare happened in Gurua, Popelo, and Luari last December 28, 1999. "A source reported to me that nearly 80 percent of adult men in three muslim concentrated zones had been killed," said Thamrin Amal Tomagola yesterday, a faculty member of Indonesian University, born in Galela, Halmahera. In every village, there were 200 to 300 of households. "This means that the number of a men slaugthered are nearly 800," Thamrin said. "The genocide took place unexpectedly [by the muslims], following a serius social conflict that has been taking place for a while in Northern Halmahera." The Deputy of Indonesian Ulema Board [Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI] of Northern Mollucca Adjit bin Taher said, nearly 2000 muslim from Tobelo have been slaughtered, four mosques and islamic facilities have been burnt since the conflict erupted last December 26, 1999. "Muslim girls were raped on the streets," he added. In Tobelo, muslims are minority. They are only 10% of the total population of 50 thousand people. Thamrin said, a sign for the ambush to the Tobelo muslims was spotted on December 25 when nearly 10 to 20 thousands Christians from some regencies [Northern Halmahera and Ternate] had a meeting in Tobelo. Thamrin admitted, he didn't know who provoked the Christians to siege the muslims. "The Christians sieged sieged the muslims just right after the fasting break on December 26, 1999," he said.
