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]

Ambon, June 18, 2003

1. FURTHER NEWS ON AHURU – Though in Ahuru the official reconciliation ceremony between muslims and christians (see Report 369) will only take place next Sunday, nevertheless this totally destroyed area at the outskirts of the city of Ambon has in fact lately been open to christians again, especially since the permanent roadblocks of concrete and iron, which during the last few years separated the area from the rest of the town, was pulled down last June 14.

Two days earlier a cache of weaponry was uncovered in Ahuru at the back of the ruins of the St. James church, consisting of six rifles, bullets, one rather big homemade bomb, six land-mines and a number of other weaponry. Special trained troops will within short search the whole area for land-mines and other lethal devices. Local muslims and returning christians are warned to be extremely careful and report any suspicion arousing object to the local security forces.

2. CACHE OF WEAPONRY – Earlier this month eight handmade grenades and two grenade launchers were discovered behind a wood company premises in the Pohon Pule area, Ambon city.

3. ELECTION NEW BUPATI S.E. MOLUCCAS – It has taken two years, and much ado, even a number of casualties, to have a new head of the South-East Moluccas sub-province (called “Kabupaten”, led by a “Bupati” and vice Bupati) elected. This kabupaten encompasses the Kei, Tayando and Aru archipelagos. On June 16, 2003, Herman Koedoeboen SH and Ir. Lambertus Nuhuyanan were elected to be the bupati and the vice bupati for the period 2003-2008. The election took place in Tual under much commotion and discord, however, without any connection with or reference to the short-lived but fierce interreligious conflict on the Kei Islands during April 1999.

C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina

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