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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. 381
2003-27-08
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Ambon, August 27, 2003
We
summarize several reports we read on www.malukumediacentre.net as
follows:
1. IHA REFUGEES DETERMINED TO RETURN ONLY AFTER 15 YEARS – Three
times the residents of the muslim village of Iha, island of
Saparua, had to flee their village. 575 of them are staying now at
the village of Liang, in the North-Eastern part of the island of
Ambon. When Cabinet Minister for Social Affairs, Bachtiar Chamsah,
visited them last August 23, their coordinator stressed that only
after 15 or 20 years they will return to their homestead on
Saparua. As reason he mentioned their doubts on proper security.
Though Bachtiar Chamsah tried to convince them that the situation
is fully under control now, they said they kept to their decision
not to return within fifteen years. They maintained this attitude
even after the minister promised them to finance their return, the
rebuilding of their houses and public facilites, speedboats and
nets for fishing, tools to till their land etc. The village elders
of Liang have no objection to them staying with them, as long as
they do not establish their own village within Liang itself.
2. REFUGEES FROM WAAI RETURN TO THEIR VILLAGE – Accompanied by
Cabinet Minister for Social Affairs, Bachtiar Chamsah and acting
governor Sarundayang, the refugees of Waai, a christian village
lying to the South of Liang, recently left their quarters in Passo
where they had been staying as refugees for three years, and
returned to their village, which is being rebuilt after total
obliteration. Their journey took place with much rejoicing.
3. CULPRITS OF MEDIA CENTRE ATTACK CAUGHT – In the early morning
of August 23, the Maluku Media Centre at Mardika, city of Ambon,
was attacked and ravaged by a mob of youngsters (Report 380). Two
days later the police arrested two of the perpetrators, the
following day another seven culprits. Five others are said to be
still on the run. They turn out to have acted while being drunk
and wanted to avenge a comrade of theirs who had come to them and
reported that he had been beaten at that site.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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