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Wednesday April 25, 2007 1:20 PM
Heavy security for Indonesia's Ambon rebel anniversary
Photo: AFP
JAKARTA (AFP) - Thousands of police and soldiers patrolled Indonesia's
eastern Ambon island Wednesday amid heavy security marking a key
pro-independence rebel anniversary.
Officers fanned out across the main city of Ambon and towns on the island as an
official said the region was calm, with only one separatist flag raised.
April 25 marks the 57th anniversary of the claim by the outlawed rebels to an
independent South Maluku Republic, a territory covering the eastern Maluku
island chain.
"We have had only one case of an RMS (separatist) flag being flown, and that
was yesterday (Tuesday) in the Kudamati area," said Brigadier Kahar of the
Ambon island police.
Traditionally, flags are hoisted on buildings and trees at night and quickly
lowered by police.
Kudamati is a known separatist stronghold.
Indonesian Army Chief Djoko Santoso said last week that the military would be
backing up Maluku police in safeguarding Ambon for the anniversary.
Six thousand police and military personnel would guard several strategic
locations, particularly in Ambon city, the capital of Malaku province, he said.
Two years ago, a pro-independence parade in the city led to clashes and a week
of violence that left more than 30 people dead and more than 100 injured.
The separatist movement was crushed shortly after its declaration in 1950 but
the rebels regrouped following the fall of dictator Suharto in 1998.
Separately, Ambon was ravaged by clashes pitting Muslims and Christians which
erupted in January 1999.
A peace pact in February 2002 mostly ended three years of strife which left
more than 5,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.
Copyright © 2005 AFP. All rights reserved.
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