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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. 279
(2nd Report today)
2002-05-07 |
1. POLITICAL ASYLUM – A large picture of the bishop, Msgr.
P.C.Mandagi, adorns the front page of today’s local “Suara
Maluku” newspaper with the headline “The christian community
will ask for political asylum”. This somewhat disturbing news
item had been quoted a little inaccurataely, but nevertheless was
his ultimate conclusion if the Military Emergency State would be
applied to Ambon. Mgr. Mandagi fears that, if this system is to be
carried out by an immoral, unjust and corrupt government that puts
own ambitions above common welfare, an ethnic cleansing might be
the result. “In that case” – he said – “we hope that
large vessels will be ready in the bay of Ambon to take the
population of the Moluccas out of here”. Msgr. Mandagi, together
with several other Church leaders, is now in Jakarta to assist the
Town’s Council in its discussions with national government
authorities.
2. CONTROVERSY AROUND THE ARREST OF JAFAR
– The arrest of
Jihad leader Jafar Umat Thalib in Surabaya last May 4, has evoked
emotional reactions from certain Muslim groups and factions
nationwide. In Ambon itself it may have been the principal cause
of the various destructive terrorist actions towards Christians
during the last few days.
Asked
for his opinion, however, Assistance Team spokesman Syamsiar (see
Report 273) said that the police had been correct in capture
this man. Ambon citizens that do not agree – he said – need
some time and befitting clarification, so they will understand.
Governor
Mohamad Saleh Latuconsina, Civil Emergency administrator of the
Moluccas, when meeting with news reporters, blamed the national
newsmedia, most of all the electronic media, to have blown up the
case of Jafar’s arrest inproportionally and in an unbalanced and
discriminative way. On national level it is being displayed as if
only Jafar Umar Thalib is under arrest; however, two FKM
separatistic leaders and 15 of their followers had already been
arrested in Ambon much earlier. He asked specifically the SCTV
(Surabaya based commercial TV) not only to report on the arrest of
Jafar Umar Thalib but also to cover the detainment and judicial
process on FKM leader Dr. Alex Manuputty, which is going on in
Ambon now.
In
an SOS letter d.d. April 29, 2002, signed by the leaders of 12
Christian Churches of Ambon – including the Catholic Church –
addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations, is said:
“Under the pretext of fighting the RMS separatists, which in
fact is a very small group of people who even do not have any
weapons, the innocent Christians are under constant attack
again”. Likewise a day earlier an extensive letter was sent to
the President of the Republic of Indonesia by the same Church
leaders.
3. SWEEPING POSTPONED – In connection with the actual
unstable situation in the city of Ambon, house-to-house sweeping
on weaponry is adjourned. (Had not the people of Soya surrendered
their weapons, they might have had a chance to defend themselves
when their village was attacked. Had the people of Eri surrendered
their weapons, the fate of their village might have been like
Soya’s…).
4. ACTIVITIES OF THE MOLUCCAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN
JAKARTA – The 45 member Provincial House of Representatives this
morning met with Vice President Hamzah Haz. Among other matters,
the need of immediate realization of the promised independent
National Investigation Team was stressed. This team is meant to
investigate on all hapless events since the unrest in the Moluccas
started on January 19, 1999. Also the common refusal of the
effectuation of the military emergency state in the Moluccas was
put forth. Commenting on the former item, Hamzah Haz promised that
within short the team would be established. Expounding on the
latter item, he said that it was never the Central Government’s
plan to replace the Civil Emergency State by the Military
Emergency State: “It was just outsiders that wanted that change
of strategy”, he said.
Following
the meeting with the Vice President, the Moluccan delegates had an
encouraging meeting with the Minister of Welfare (“Menko
Kesra”), Jusuf Kalla, who will be responsible for the National
Investigation Team that is being composed and will consist of both
Muslim and Christian non-Moluccans.
For
tomorrow are planned meetings with the
Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, with Supreme Police Commander General Da’i Bachtiar,
with Indonesian Military (TNI)
Chief Adm. Widodo A.S. and with House Speaker Akbar Tanjung.
5. SCREAM OF THE WOMEN – Sister Brigitta Renyaan asked us to
disperse an English translation of the letter that was sent by the
“Concerned Women’s Movement” (GPP = Gerakan Perempuan Peduli)
to the Indonesian Government in Jakarta, and to various other
obvious persons and institutions, including “Women’s
Organisations in the whole world”. For that reason we provide
here the complete text as follows:
--------------------------------------------
SCREAM
OF THE WOMEN (Jeritan Derita Kaum
Perempuan)
Ambon,
May 4, 2002
(1) The Concerned Women’s Movement expresses its most sincere
condolence to the residents of the village of Soya on the
slaughtering of eleven of their fellow residents. Most fittingly
the deceased are
called victims of slaughter, because they did not die as a result
of warfare, but as the result of a one-sided attack on women,
children and other citizens while they were asleep.
(2) It is most hurting to perceive that 75% of those
slaughtered were women, including two helpless female babies. What
we want to ask is: why were these innocent women and babies
murdered? Were they involved in any forbidden political
movement? Did they obstruct the State so that they had to be
killed?
(3) We convey this scream of the people: based on the loyalty
to the undivided Republic of Indonesia and their support of the
Malino Agreement, these women admonished their men to voluntarily
surrender their weapons. This obedience sadly turned out to have a
high price on it.
(4) We state that this brutal carnage – especially because
aimed at women and children – is a hideous crime against human
rights, which should not be tolerated by civilized and in God
believing people.
(5) That this butchering of innocent women, children and
others, is an offense of human rights that cannot possibly be
tolerated by the government of the undivided Republic of
Indonesia.
(6) That no reason whatsoever, be it religion motivated or by
motivation of maintaining national unity, can justify any group of
persons to slaughter fellow human beings, especially if those are
innocent women and children. Thus these criminals must be brought
to court.
(7) We still trust that the military and police are
institutions that guarantee the people’s security and safety and
maintain the national independence. Therefore we demand them to
restore their image by acting honestly, professionally and
transparant in guaranteeing security for all.
(8) We also are convinced that the Law still can be upheld in
this our Indonesia. So we request that those responsible for law
and order, act accordingly in honest, professional and unyielding
way, without any discrimination.
(9) Don’t let the Indonesian civilians in the Moluccas go on
with this endless suffering. Be aware that the stigma RMS cannot
generalizingly be applied to all Christian communities and that
likewise Laskar Jihad cannot generalizingly be applied to all
Muslim communities.
(10)
As women that acknowledge responsibility towards the
formation of the future generation, we are utterly concerned with
the present milieu, especially in connection with the children
that show symptoms of psychical trauma due to the violence that
they incessantly witness.
(11) We demand improvement of capability and sense of
responsibility of those who are entrusted with the application of
correct citizenship,.especially of those who are responsible for
maintaining security and law for everybody in Indonesia,
especially for women and children that in the Moluccas are called
to achieve the fervently desired prosperity of the undivided
Republic of Indonesia.
(12) We reject any military emergency state to be applied to the
Moluccas, especially to the city of Ambon, for we do not want the
women and children endlessly being victimized.
Coordinators:
(signed) Mrs. M.M.Hendriks, Mrs. Retty Assagaff, Sister Brigitta
fdnsc
C.J.Böhm
msc, Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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