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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. 362 2003-15-04
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Ambon, April 15, 2003
1.
ALERTNESS TOWARDS APRIL 25th With the annual commemoration
of the declaration of independency of the South Moluccas (RMS /
Republik Maluku Selatan) coming into view, military and police
forces will do their utmost to prevent any raising of the RMS flag
on that date, April 25th. No doubt the FKM is planning to hoist
the RMS flag on that occasion. According to Ambon Ekspres daily
(Muslim) the little island of Haruku, to the East of Ambon is
considered to be a nest of RMS supporters. Perhaps that is why
both the military and the police precinct commanders (Dan! dim dan
Kapolres) went to visit the Haruku village of Aboru and its nearby
hamlets. As in the hamlet of Naira they were met with ostensible
antipathy, they decided to abort their intention to go to Aboru
and to visit the village of Pelauw instead. However, Siwalima
daily (Christian) reports that on this occasion both commanders
went to Aboru, where initially they were given a cool and
suspicious welcome. But afterwards all suspicion evaporated and
the people felt happy to have them in their midst.
2. STATEMENT BY THE BISHOP OF AMBOINA Msgr. P.C.
Mandagi, bishop of Amboina, fears that any RMS flag raising will
result in renewed violence. We may summarize his recent statement
on this topic as follows:
It is not difficult to predict in what quarters there will be
victims: (1) It is the common people that will pull the chestnuts
out of the fire for the flaghoisters. These latter will enjoy the
protection of a certain political elite either in Ambon or
elsewhere that had them to do so in order to obtain certain
advantages, be it the post of provincial governor or
self-government for the Moluccas, etc. (2) It is specifically the
Christians that will be subjected to acts of violence, as they are
widely, but totally unjustly, considered to be on the side of the
RMS independence movement. As for me the bishop said I
have never said that I support the RMS. Nevertheless the
Christians and their leaders are relentlessly accused of kindling
and propagating RMS aspirations. In case there might be any RMS
flag hoisting on or! around next April 25th and it can be proved
that it is done by a Christian, then it is on this persons own
responsibility, and in no way he may be considered to represent
any of his fellow Christians. That is why I am definitely opposed
to any RMS flag hoisting and I curse those perpetrators. I appeal
to the military and police security forces to dissuade any one who
might intend to raise this flag. I appeal to the whole the
population, including religious and secular leaders, including
also the mass media, to assist the security forces in preventing
any RMS flag hoisting. The bishop ends with appeals to all Muslims
and Christians to close ranks and cooperate honestly to build a
peaceful and prosperous undivided Indonesia and especially to
revitalize the Moluccas, which has meanwhile become the province
that is lagging behind all other provinces of Indonesia.
3. SARS PREVENTION As the first few cases of the
SARS epidemic in Indonesia are detected, Ambon is upgrading its
vigilance at the airport and the harbours. Up to now the Moluccas
are still free from SARS.
C.J.Bφhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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