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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. 346
2003-14-01
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Ambon, January 14, 2003
1.
IDP-S RETURNING TO BACAN A second wave of Bacan IDP-s
returned to their homesteads on the island of Bacan [pronounce ba:tyan],
Province of the North Moluccas. The first group had left from
Waisarissa on December 22, 2002 (see Report 338). This time it was
a group of 198 families (868 persons) that had been staying as
refugees in Ambon for almost three years. They left from the
Gudang Arang anchorage in Ambon on January 13, 2303. The next
group is scheduled to leave next January 21, embarking at Amahai
and Taniwel, North Ceram.
2. MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN STUDENTS ALLIANCE PROTESTING RISE OF
PRICE ON FUEL In the midst of various more or less
irregular students protests against the sharp rise of prices on
fuel, electricty and telephone, there was one nicely staged
protest, organized by the Alliance of United Moluccan Students,
specifically the HMI (Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam) together with the
GMKI (Gerakan Mahasiswa Kristen Indonesia) asking for a private
meeting with acting governor Sarundayang which was granted
them. Local TV showed the very disciplined meeting, in which the
acting governor promised to present the students fair wishes to
the central government.
3. SULTAN YOGYAKARTA RECEIVES HONORARY TITLE At the end
of the meeting of traditional leaders in Ambon, that was organized
by the reconciliation movement Baku Bae and the Pattimura
university and that lasted from 9 until 11 January, Sultan
Hamengko Buwono X of Yogyakarta, who participated in part of the
meeting, was endowed with the honorary title of Upulatu for his
support of the Baku Bae movement since 2000.
Interviewed in Ambon by The Jakarta Post newspaper, the sultan
said he was confident that the unrest was really over and done
with now. He said, the population is aware that their suffering is
the result of several years of violence. Traditional leaders
in cooperation with the government have an import role to play
to bring the conflict to an end and restore normal relations.
The more than a hundred participants at the meeting made
recommendations in the fields of education and economic
reconstruction. Economic recovery should center on the sea as a
major natural source of income. Ichsan Malik, one of the
facilitators of the Baku Bae movement, stated to Sinar Harapan
newspaper that the Baku Bae movement has four leading principles:
forgiveness, justice, solidarity and diversity.
C.J.Bφhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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