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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. 374
2003-03-08
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Ambon, August 8, 2003
It
has been more than a month since we last met. In this issue we
will report briefly on the latest developments, mainly summarized
from Maluku Media Centre (www.malukumediacentre.net) .
1. MOST OF THE REFUGEES HAVE NOT RETURNED YET – Of the
352,578 people that became refugees due to the recent conflict in
the Moluccas, 202,783 up to now are still staying in refugees
camps and locations. The others have either returned to their
original homesteads or permanently moved elsewhere. The central
government in Jakarta has decided that any financial aid to the
refugees will be ended this August 2003, apparently wishing in
this way to speed up the refugees’ return. The original halt of
any help to them – December 2003 – had already been extended.
What is mentioned as still hampering these refugees to return can
be summarized as: lack of funds and psychological inpreparedness.
We might add: compliance to the present rather uncomplicated
situation and – in some cases – reluctance from the side of
some local residents to receive back their fellow villagers, like
in Kasui and Bula.
2. DARWIN–SAUMLAKI YACHT RACE – The traditional annual
Darwin-Ambon yacht race, which used to take place around the month
of July, had not taken place during these last four years due to
the unrest in the Moluccas. However, the Darwin Sailing Club, upon
learning that not all of the Moluccas was closed to foreigners,
together with the Bupati of Saumlaki managed to revive the
tradition this year, altering it slightly into a
“Darwin-Saumlaki Race”. Saumlaki is the capital of the newly
erected Kabupaten (sub-province) of the Western South-East
Molucccas. Thus on July 28, eight yachts arrived at Saumlaki,
originating from Australia, Brunei and Malaysia.
3. IN THE BAN OF UPCOMING ELECTION – During these last
few weeks Ambon has been in the ban of the election of a new
Governor and Vice-Governor. The Provincial Legislative Council –
after screening all of the candidates – has at last approved the
candidature of six “couples”: Z.Sahuburua/Taher Laitupa; Fredy
Latumahina/Rahimi Yusuf; Karel Ralahallo/M.Abdullah Latuconsina;
Rahimi Yusuf/Chris Tanasale; M.Saleh Latuconsina/Paula Renyaan and
Frans de Wanna/Yusuf Oesep. The election will take place next
August 14.
During a press conference Bishop P.C. Mandagi MSC acknowledged the
importance of the election, but – he said – maintaining peace
and unity among the people is more important. If this election
should bring about renewed unrest, it is the people that suffer.
What might create unrest, is any obvious use of money politics or
other unlawful means of getting hold of this position.
4. AMBON RELAXED – In his press conference Bishop Mandagi
also expressed his delight in perceiving the willingness of the
erstwhile mutual opposing parties to forgive one another. Recent
places where Christians and Muslims now come together again are
(for insiders): Waihoka, Ahuru, Poka-Rumahtiga, Waai. Today
Muslims youngsters and members of the Christian AMGPM youth
organisation cleaned up the large town’s graveyard at Kebun
Cengkeh: each busying themselves with the other’s graves. Also
at Jos Soedarso harbour more and more Christian employees and
labourers can be spotted. A music festival for young people was
successfully organized on July 27. For the children, too, a number
of activities took place.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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