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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. 347 (2nd report today)
2003-14-01
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Ambon, January 14, 2003
1.
VISIT CABINET MINISTERS Eight Cabinet Ministers and
several other high officials were expected to arrive in Ambon from
Jakarta yesterday afternoon, however, their visit was postponed up
to this morning. Local radio reported that indeed the eight of
them arrived, but local TV gave the number of only four Ministers.
Their visit lasted only four hours. Various topics were discussed
during a meeting with local authorities and representatives of
various offices, institutions and organizations this morning.
Especially in the economic field a number of promises were made.
Moluccans were exhorted to realize the riches that can be obtained
from the sea: the central government was ready to extend a helping
hand in its exploitation.
2. BOMB EXPLOSION At about 11.30 a.m. today some
already smoking device was thrown at a minibus when passing
through the Muslim neighbourhood of Batumerah-Bawah (the road near
the sea). It missed the bus, but exploded under the rear bumper of
a subsequent minibus, causing its rear window to be shattered, but
not resulting in casualties. An angry crowd then started to throw
stones at several other subsequent minibuses, causing several have
their windowpanes shattered, but miraculously not injuring any of
the passengers. A passenger car owned by the diocese of
Amboina and having just passed from the opposite direction was
then chased by a still unknown motorcyclist. The driver, Father
Edo Besembun MSC, was demanded to steer his car back to the place
where the bomb had been thrown. Complying to this request, he then
saw his car been burned by the angry crowd. He himself and his
travel companion were immediateluy protected by the police. Not
long after, a limousine car on the upper road of Batumerah (Galunggung)
was also thrown at with stones, wounding two of its passengers.
3. VISIT OF FOREIGNERS Due to the ban on foreigners
entering Ambon, it has been a long time ago we met any visitors
from abroad. During these last few days, however, a group of 21
Dutch people came to visit Ambon. Part of this group was an
official delegation of the Dutch government, namely delegates of
the Yayasan Het Gebaar. Others were from the NGO Yayasan
Pelita. The group had meetings, among others, with the Acting
Governor and the Ambon Town Mayor and had itself been informed on
the latest situation in Ambon and the Moluccas in general, whereby
the Yayasan Pelita deputation was specifically interested in
matters of any psychic damage to those who in various ways
had become victims of violence.
C.J.Bφhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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