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 28, 2003

1. CLARIFICATION ON THE PRESENCE OF INTERNATIONAL NGO-s – After the fierce protests against UN presence in the Moluccas – specifically by muslim groups – when the USA launched its attack on Iraq, towards the end of March (see Reports 359-361), UN Area Coordinator of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Anthony Badha, considered the time had come to explain on the real purpose of the UN Office in Ambon, namely: to support the Indonesian government and the provincial government in their efforts to take care of various kinds of humanitarian affairs. Mr. Badha e! xplained to the mass media on June 23, that the UN Office is also meant to enhance Indonesian national unity and in no way provides support to RMS separatist activities. The presence of a UN office in the Moluccas – he said – has been suggested by the central government and been asked for by the government of the province of the Moluccas. He further summed up the list of international organisations that are operating the Moluccas, i.e. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), led by Richard Manning; World Food Programme (WFP), led by Dr Jerry Bailey; United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), led by Frans Petutschnig; United Nations Security Coordination (UNSECOORD), led by Rustam Salyakov; further – without foreigners on the spot – World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Fund Population Agency (UNFPA).

2. DEATH PENALTY DEMANDED FOR BERTHY LOUPATYY – After demanding the death sentence for Coker member Abraham Tariola (see Report 372), the prosecution at the North Jakarta District Court on June 24 also demanded the death penalty for Berthy Loupatty, leader of the nefarious Coker gang. Berthy was accused of ordering his 16 Coker gang members to create havoc and execute bombing activities at eleven sites in Ambon. While listening to this demand, Berthy smiled. The accusation specified on the sad results of the Coker gang’s destructive activities: 84 killed, 273 wounded, 461 buildings d! estroyed, and the destruction of 2 school buildings, an adat house, 2 churches and the “California” motoboat.
Berthy’s defense will take place next July 2.

3. RESTORING “AMBON MANISE” – The city of Ambon used to be nicknamed “Ambon Manisé” or “Sweet Ambon”. Wishing to restore Ambon to its former fame of Ambon Manisé, on June 20, at the initiative of both the provincial and city government, a ceremony was held at the Lapangan Merdeka field in the middle of the city, as a sign of the official start of rehabilitating the physical appearance of Ambon, both by professionals with bulldozers, excavators and other heavy equipment that had recently arrived in Ambon, and by voluntary workers with their shovels, “parangs” and brooms. In the Batugantung a! rea a new two story market, named Tagalaya, was officially opened, to replace the many scores of vendors’ minishops that lined the narrow thoroughfare through Batugantung. In the Anthony Rheebok street the town government has built many dozens of identical minishops that will replace those that line the road at Manggadua opposite the military hospital. Meanwhile people are instructed not to clutter the roads and to refrain from any garbage dumping into the rivers. Hundreds of (mostly) women can be seen before dawn every morning sweeping the main roads, thus at the same time having a modest income for their living.

4. AHURU BEING CLEANED UP – Community work (“kerja bakti”) is underway also in Ahuru, at the outskirts of the town. Today the Waihoka area (around the Petra church etc.), adjacent to Ahuru, had its turn of “makan patita” (community meal) by muslims together with christians, being the start of rebuilding activities as well.

5. INAUGURATION OF THE RENEWED PATTIMURA AIRPORT – The extended runway and new passengers’ and cargo facilities of the Pattimura airport at Laha on the opposite side of the bay of Ambon, was inaugurated today by acting governor H. Sinyo Sarundayang. As part of the ceremony an MD-82 wide-body airplane of the Lion Air corporation, captained by a Moluccan pilot, landed smoothly. Lion Air will connect Ambon with several major cities in Indonesia with daily flights. From July on, there will be two Lion Air flights daily. Pattimura airport is also meant to become an international airport in the n! ear future. One of the hoped for results of this effort is paving the way for any foreign investors.

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

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