|
|
|
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. 357
2003-18-03
|
Ambon, March 18, 2003
1.
FKM LEADERS TRANSFERRED TO JAKARTA – In the morning of March
17, Dr. Alex Manuputty and Semmy Waeleruny SH, leaders of the
Front Kedaulatan Maluku (= Moluccas Sovereignty Front), were
detained in Ambon in order to be transferred to Jakarta, where
they will serve their three years’ imprisonment sentence. Their
detention did not go unnoticed by several hundreds of supporters,
most of them youngsters, who accompanied their heroes starting
from Manuputty’s house in Kudamati to Police HQ at Batumeja in a
motorcycle cavalcade or on foot, shouting “merdeka” (freedom)
and “Menamuria!” while singing various songs. Having arrived
at Police HQ, Manuputty was given the opportunit! y to speak to
the assembled youngsters, telling them to keep calm, but also
promising that he would be back bringing them the RMS sovereignty.
At about 1.45 p.m. both FKM leaders were taken to Pattimura
airport, Laha, by helicopter, from where they got on a plane to
Jakarta. Before leaving they assured those assembled that next
April 25 the RMS flag will be hoisted all over the Moluccas.
2. VARIOUS ACTS OF VIOLENCE – Last week a man’s body
was detected at the back of the Ambon Plaza mall, a muslim
neighbourhood. Up to now the corpse has not been claimed by any
relative.
On March 17 a quarrel at the market-place of Batumerah ended in
Zulkifli Heluth (21) being stabbed with a knife, causing his death
shortly afterwards. The fighting then shifted to Yos Sudarso
harbour, whereby a resident from Asilulu, Ahmad Jufri Lain, was
seriously injured.
Earlier on the same day, at about 9.00 a.m., a minibus was thrown
at with stones by an angry crowd when passing the muslim area of
Galunggung. Though the car was damaged, nobody of those inside the
car were hurt.
Happenings like these are an indication that renewed tenseness is
gradually building up in Ambon.
3. NEW MILITARY COMMANDER – This morning Major General
TNI Djoko Santoso officially handed over the command of the
military forces in the Moluccas to the newly appointed military
chief commander for the Moluccas, Major General TNI Agustadi.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
|
