|
|
|
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]
|
THE
SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report No. 345
2003-13-01
|
Ambon, January 13, 2003
1.
MEETING OF VILLAGE CHIEFS – From 9 to 11 January a number of
traditional leaders (“Latupati”) and village chiefs held a
meeting at the temporary Pattimura university compound in
Manggadua, in which various topics were discussed. One of the
participants was Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (the tenth) from
Yogyakarta. In the speech he delivered he stressed the need for
tolerance and openness one towards another, and an appropriate
understanding of the various diversities among the population: not
as a source of conflict but, on the contrary, as assets for
further development of the abundance of riches in Indonesian
culture. Frequent dialogue will foster mutual understanding, he
said.
An important item on the agenda was the attention that should be
paid to the young generation. Other items of discussion centered
on matters of economy, the IDP-s, justice, reestablishing
traditional village chiefs and – of course – reconciliation.
2. VISIT BY CHIEF POLICE COMMANDER – National Chief
Police Commander (Kapolri) Da’i Bachtiar paid a visit to Ambon
on January 11, as part of a tour in the East Indonesia area, in
which also Kupang and Manado are visited.
Meeting the local newsmedia he – among other things –
acknowledged that a number of military Kopassus personnel had
indeed been found to have been involved in recent acts of violence
as had been stated by Berty Loupatty (see Report 343). In
cooperation with the military leaders further investigation on the
case will be carried out, he said.
3. FKM LEADERS WELCOMED IN AMBON – FKM leaders Alex
Manuputty and Semmy Waeleruny were welcomed enthousiastically by
more than a thousand supporters on their arrival in Ambon on
January 11. Having arrived at the Kudamati area, they first of all
headed for the “Sinar” church for a brief worship together
with several hundreds of sympathizers. In a brief allocution,
Manuputty shouted: “Mena Muria! God is on our side! Dear Alifuru
brothers, our fight is for Salam (Muslim) and Sarani (Christian)
alike. Our fight is without any weaponry. Our fight is a moral
one, whilst praying to God”. He said, together with Semmy
Waeleruny he had been in detention in Jakarta for eight months and
ten days, but had never been distressed, for God had comforted
them. God will not leave those who suffer and yearn for the truth.
A crowd of several thousands of people then accompanied them to
Manuputty’s nearby house under the sounds of joyful trumpet
music.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
|
