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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. 361
2003-31-03
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Ambon, March 31, 2003
1.
DEMONSTRATON IN TERNATE – On www.reliefweb.int OCHA reports
that two demonstrations took place in front of the UNRC in Ternate
(North Moluccas), condemning the US attack on Iraq,. The first
demonstration, that was run by the Unity Nahdlatul Ummat Party (Partai
Persatuan Nahdlatul Ummat or PPNU), took place on March 24 with
some 100 participants. The second one took place on March 25 and
was run by students from Muhammadiyah University. At the second
demonstration, the demonstrators demanded the UN
to lower down its flag as a symbol that the UN office in the North
Moliccas showed its sympathy for the people in Iraq.
In Ambon there was another anti-America demonstration today. It is
remarkable that it is only muslims that engage themselves in this
kind of demonstrations, involving exclusively students.
2. CONFUSION AROUND THE RETURN OF REFUGEES – Last March
1, 108 families should have returned to their homesteads in the
Tobelo area, North Moluccas. Though many had their sparse
belongings ready at the side of road, nobody seems to care any
more about them, except that food supply has been stopped
according to their departure schedule. As reason of this delay is
given that some data are still lacking, others contend that it is
simply a matter of poor coordination, whereas the Gamalama
Corruption Watc
h in Makassar points to considerable corruption in refugees aid
funds.
In Ambon the government is preparing to return all of the
registered 310 refugee families from Namlea (island of Buru) to
their original place. However, as this was announced, no fewer
than 700 families came to apply to be returned to Namlea. The
government complains that, in order to get double shares, many
families apply twice: once under Dad’s name and once under
Mum’s name – or they use other tricks, bringing both the
government and NGO-s to despair.
3. FOREIGNERS – “There is no ban on foreigners” –
thus was contended by the Secretary General of the Moluccas, “on
the contrary, we very much welcome them. We just hope their kind
understanding that this is a civil emergency area, and that
certain conditions have to be fulfilled, especially regarding the
honest purpose of their visit.”
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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