Centre for Assessment of Maluku Conflict (CAMACO) Yayasan Salawaku Maluku (Shield Maluku Foundation) - Ambon
MIX NEWS OF THE WEEK FROM AMBON: 02 May 2004 1. The frequency of bombing and shooting in the war zone (Talake) is decreasing since 2 a.m. in Friday after a very noisy night started at 7 p.m. in Thursday, 29 April 2004. Bombings started again shortly after 2 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. in Saturday, but only very few gunshots were heard between 1 to 2 a.m. Sunday. Overall, the fight is cooling down, just like the current weather (closed to rainy season). 2. As of 01 May 2004, the violence in Ambon has left 36 people died, 122 people treated in hospitals and 110 injured but released from hospitals. Meanwhile, 2318 families (10,108 people) become internal refugees in schools, family houses, mosques, churches and military bases. They just returned to their places 3 mo ago. 3. After the body of Niko Silsily (a truck driver) was found in Kate-Kate beach (30 km from Ambon city) in 29 April 2004, two dead bodies were found in Belakang Soya area (southeast of the city) in Friday 30 April 2004, while two dead bodies have been kept in a police station in Perigi Lima area for 3 days. No one claims these bodies. 4. Despite of the religious hostility, some touching stories start to emerge. Some Butonese Moslems hid Christians in their houses when the violence broke in Poka area (30 km from Ambon city) in 25 April. Under the cover of night, the Christians managed to swim across the Ambon Bay to Christian villages along the east side of the Bay. A Moslem man identified as 'Hassan' saved two Christians from a mob of Moslems in Ambon seaport in 27 April. He took them to a police station in Perigi Lima area through dark streets with jihad fighters around. Another Moslem man saved a Christian boy in 28 April when he deliberately told a Moslem mob that the boy is his son, while the mob tortured a friend of this boy to dead. Due to his loving action, the Moslem man fled from his neighborhood afraid of reprisal by the mob. 5. In Thursday, the Parliament of Ambon City heard a testimony from Mr. Y. Lopulalan describing how Army personnel led Moslem mob to destroy his neighborhood in Talake (the war zone). A member of the Parliament, Mr. Saimima, also testified that he caught Army snipers from tall buildings in the war zone. Meanwhile, a police bomb squad shot dead an Army sniper and detained two police snipers in the war zone in Friday night. Snipers have terrorized the city dwellers since 25 April forcing the Commander of Indonesia Armed Forces and National Chief of Police to order the security people to immediately shoot death any sniper caught in the field. 6. Meanwhile eyewitnesses saw some Christians involved in burning down of few houses belong to Christians in Talake (the war zone), while some involve in looting and painting houses with the separatist name. In the past conflict, the Army Special Force (Kopassus) paid and trained some Christians to blow up churches and houses belong to Christians to fire up the conflict. They are called 'the Judas gang'. 7. Wild mobs who call themselves as the defender of Indonesia sovereignty not only destroyed houses and schools built by the government, but also ransacked the office of Maluku Governor as this office is right in the middle of the war zone. 8. The police detained the wife, children and 4 friends of Alex Manuputty, the leader of Maluku separatist group, in Ambon at 1:45 p.m. local time in May 1st, 2004, ordered by Maluku Governor. Better late than never, the police will extract information from the detainees about the other members of the separatist group. 9. Although the government has asked the students to go back to school, most of the teachers are still afraid to come to their schools. The State Pattimura University inside the city is still closed as the building is too closed to the war zone, while the campus in Poka (outside the city) is closed for safety reasons. The Rector of Pattimura University and the Governor of Maluku move their offices to the headquarters of the Maluku Regional Police. Meanwhile, the Rector of Maluku Christian University, burned down by Moslem mob in April 25, threaten to use the newly built Governor office as campus until the government rebuilds his campus because he blames the government fails to keep the law and order in the first place. 10. Despite evidences of police failures, Army participation and religion-related terrorism, up to now the Governor of Maluku (ret. Army Brig. Gen. Karel Ralahalu) keeps blaming the separatist group as the architect of the violence, while most of non-governmental organizations, politicians, retired generals, academics and students across Indonesia suspect the military is, as usual, behind the latest violence. 11. A local newspaper cited Mr. Thos Talakua (the head of Fishery and Marine Division of the separatist group) calling the UN to send international peacekeepers to Ambon. Meanwhile, some Christians and Moslems, especially the families of victims, are angry with the separatist group and the police blaming them as the guilty parties in the latest round of violence in Ambon. A group of Moslem students even asked the President to fire the Coordinating Minister of Politics and Security Affairs, Commander of Armed Forces, Chief of National Police, Commander of Army in Maluku and Chief of Maluku Police for their failures. 12. News circulated through SMS by a group called "Prayer Tower of Ambon" says that Laskar Jihad and other groups of Islam extremists have arrived in Ambon from Namlea city (in Buru island, northwest of Ambon island) and military personnel pose as fishermen. 13. Prices of food and fuel are increasing as the stocks are decreasing. Christians in some areas sing all night long, just like Moslem prayers from mosques in the north of the city. Darkness covers big streets at night, although there was no electrical blackout this week. Unfortunately, the city wastes are piling up on the roads. 14. Unlike in 1999, after a restless and worrying week, it seem the majority of Moslems and Christians in Ambon do not involve in the violence. They just guard their own areas and monitor the situation in the war zone (300 m by 400 m) using hand phones and two-ways radio communication. It is possible that the bombings every night is deliberately done to make the city dwellers emotionally and mentally tired. However, people seem happy and indifferent, while children keep noisily playing around enjoying the sudden (un)-holidays. In contrast, the police and army seem dead tired and sweaty wearing their uniform and taking their guns day and night. 15. Prayers from all over the world pour in for peace in Ambon this week. May the new week bring the answer to our prayers from God of peace and mercy. Written by: Semmy Littik - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copyright: Yayasan Salawaku Maluku @2004. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. 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