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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. 328
2002-11-16
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Ambon, November 16, 2002
1.
RENEWED FLARE-UP OF VIOLENCE ON SERAM – Responding to the
growing mutual trust between the erstwhile conflicting parties,
the Christians of the village of Lokki, South coast of West-Seram
island, decided to pave the way for returning to their village.
When on August 18, 1999, their village was attacked and
devastated, they had sought refuge at the not-far-off little town
of Piru and been staying there since then as IDP-s.
In the morning of last November 14, with permission of the Seram
government authorities, some 200 men from Lokki came to their
village by sea in order to start preparing the building site for
houses and barracks to be constructed. However, their coming
seemed to have been misinterpreted by local Muslims (other reports
declare that local Muslims simply do not want the Lokkinese to
rebuild their village). Accompanying security forces fired warning
shots to forestall a full-scale battle, they even had to aim their
firing directly at the attackers and thus caused three casualties
among them: one killed and two wounded.
2. CLAIMING LAND OWNERSHIP AT THE AIRPORT – The
impressive upgrading of Pattimura Airport at Laha, on the opposite
side of the bay of Ambon, was resumed when the unrest started to
calm down. However, the residents of the village of Laha claim
ownership of the 145 Hectares that the government has added to the
existing airport. Since their claim has gone unanswered for some
years already, the village chief declared on local TV last night,
that the villagers en masse will surround the disputed area
starting on Monday, November 18, however without interfering in
normal air traffic or in any way endangering it. The village of
Laha demands the sum of about 35 billion rupiahs (about US$
3,250,000.-) to be paid for the land.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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