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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. 380
2003-25-08
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Ambon, August 25, 2003
1.
MEDIA CENTRE ATTACKED – In the early morning (2.15 a.m.) of
August 23, the Maluku Media Centre at Mardika, city of Ambon, was
attacked by an brutal mob of about 30 youngsters. The Media Centre,
which is operated by the local Journalists’ Independent
Alliance, reports in detail on the event: see
www.malukumediacentre.net. The attackers injured some people and
ravaged the furniture, however, in the darkness, did not notice
the computer. The police has no clue yet to the identity of the
attackers. Their motivation, too, is still a mystery.
2. MINIBUS ASSAULTED – At about 7.00 p.m. on August 23, a
minibus on its regular course from Galala to Ambon, was thrown at
with stones by a group of youngsters in the Batumerah-Atas area at
the Eastern end of the city of Ambon. By speeding up his car, the
driver managed to salvage his car, be it with some scattered
window panes, and his passengers. There is no trace of the
perpetrators, it is also not clear what their motive might have
been.
3. CIVIL EMERGENCY TO BE LIFTED SOON – The recently elected new
governor and vice governor will be installed in the beginning of
September 2003. Acting governor Sinyo Harry Sarundayang expects
the civil emergency status of the Moluccas to be lifted not long
after, since the general situation in the Moluccas has been quiet
for a long time already; several minor incidents apparently did
not provoke people to answer with acts of violence.
4. NUMBER OF REFUGEES – On occasion of a visit by the Cabinet
Minister for Social Affairs, Bachtiar Chamsah, on August 22, 2003,
acting governor Sinyo Harry Sarundayang, reporting on the handling
of refugees, provided the following numbers: he said the program
for the year 2003 to return 47.700 families (280.814 persons) is
underway. During the period January – August 2003, the return of
7.325 families (36.625 persons) had already been realized. The
target for 2004 is returning the remaining 34.359 families
(213.590 persons). He said the government was very much annoyed by
“maffia” tendencies among the refugees. Thus we read in
today’s “Siwalima” daily newspaper.
Since the start of the unrest in January 1999, the largest
concentration of refugees – both Muslim and Christian – was at
the naval base of Halong, Ambon. It reached its peak in 2000 with
a total of 17.000 refugees. Though it should be free of refugees
this August, nevertheless, according to commander Ibrahim Sadong,
up to now there are still 6.180 refugees at the compound. Many of
these have already building materials stored but cannot yet start
building their houses because “the other party” is still using
their estates.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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