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Lawamena
Victoria
Reports
by
CRISIS
CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 ( Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
e-mail [email protected]
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THE
SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report No. 319
2002-09-14
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Ambon, September 14, 2002
REFLECTION ON CURRENT SITUATION IN AMBON – On September
14, 2002, Monseigneur P.C. Mandagi msc, Bishop of Amboina, gave a
press conference oneveral hot items, specifically those connected
with recent acts of violence and with the impending election of
the next Governor of the Moluccas. We do not intend to report on
the whole exposé but restrict ourselves to some poignant
perceptions on the former of both topics:
(1) What motivation can the terrorists possibly have in fuelling
renewed interreligious strife? Maybe they hope to profit economically from
a prolonged conflict. Or by means of prolongation of the conflict
one wants to secure for oneself a certain position in government or being
rewarded with promotion. As long as the local situation is unstable, the
impending election for a new governor might postponed, installing a
caretaking governor instead.
(2) Not to be excluded is the possibility that – like also was
suggested by National Supreme Police Commander Da'i Bachtiar during his recent
visit to Ambon – that the conflicts in the various areas of
Indonesia might be linked one to another, having their source at and being
coordinated by a national or even international terrorist network. By means of
these acts of terror they might try to prove that Indonesia is an unsafe
country with a weak government and inept military and police security forces, a
country with a government that cannot protect its own citizens. In
that case the conclusion would be: to topple the government and
replace it by one to their liking, i.e. by them themselves.
(3) Both communities of the Moluccas as a whole hardly let
themselves be fooled any more. On the contrary, the only thing
both Muslims and Christians want is peace and security. They have learned that
violence is not the way to bring about peace. People have grown in
appreciation of morale and religiousness.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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