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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. 285
2002-05-15
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Ambon,
May 15, 2002
1.
OPINIONS ON THE ROLE OF RMS AND JIHAD FORCES IN THE
CONFLICT – The (Laskar Jihad) National Communication Forum
Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah (FKAWJ) is holding a national workshop in
Jakarta from May 13 to May 22. In his opening speech, FKAWJ
chairman Ayip Syafruddin said that the Laskar Jihad would be
withdrawn from the Moluccas if the following two conditions were
fulfilled: (1) Guarantee of protection of the Muslim community in
the Moluccas by military and police forces; (2) Disbanding of the
RMS separatist movement, to be effectuated by the government.
Vice
President Hamzah Haz, after opening the workshop, confirmed that
first of all the FKM (Front Kedaulatan Maluku) separatist movement
should be broken up, after which the Laskar Jihad must leave the
Moluccas.
Commenting
on this statement, Brigader General Mustopo, the military chief
commander of Kodam XVI Pattimura in Ambon, said that ousting the
Laskar Jihad from the Moluccas could be hampered by certain
complications, since a lot of them after these two years have
already struck roots in Ambon because of their involvement in
social welfare and in educational activities in the Muslim
community.
Religious
leaders in Jakarta, joined in the Gerakan Moral Nasional (National
Moral Movement), too, discussed the problem. The three leaders of
this forum (Kyai Haji Hasyim
Muzadi of the Nahdathul Ulama, Fr. I.Ismantoro SJ in name of the
Catholic Church and Minister A.A. Yewangoe of the union of
Protestant Churches in Indonesia) then reported to Vice President
Hamzah Haz on their conclusion, like afterwards was explained by
Hasyim Muzadi to the press: it is the government’s
responsibility to investigate and state clearly the performers of
the unrest in the Moluccas. It is most likely that the unrest is
fomented by people from outside the Moluccas, but one should not
hastily conclude that it is the RMS or Laskar Jihad (leaving it to
professional investigators to find out what other outsiders are to
be found in the Moluccas).
Mahmud
Md, former Cabinet Minister of Defense, now chairman of the Partei
Kebangkitan Bangsa (National Reawakening Party), declared on May
13, that he agreed to the ousting of all RMS and Laskar Jihad
forces from the Moluccas. Even all outsiders should be expelled,
especially the Dutch, for these are likely to support the RMS.
2.
MINISTERIAL VISIT – Cabinet Minister of Social
Affairs Bachtiar Chamzah recently came to visit the Moluccas.
After visiting Masohi, capital of the Central Moluccas, island of
Seram, he came to Ambon, where among other things he went to
survey the burned down Governmental Office building. He warned not
too hastily erect a new Governmental Office building. As long as
the conflict has not come to a solution, it might be burned again
(which happened already to the new Silo church: while still being
under construction, it has been set to fire three times!).
3.
ARRIVAL OF NATIONAL INVESTIGATION TEAM – The
Cabinet Ministers of Economic Affairs, of Welfare and for
Political and Security Affairs have dispatched the long awaited
eleven member National Investigation Team to Ambon.
4.
BRUTAL SWEEPING IN KUDAMATI – Yesterday sweeping
was carried out in the Christian neighbourhood of Kudamati,
specifically in the area where FKM leader Alex Manuputty’s house
is situated. Local TV showed civilians that were utterly angered
by the savage, even traumatizing way this sweeping was carried out
from house to house. Finding no weaponry in Alex Manuputty’s
house, they took away his computer and modem, his communication
facilities (HT) and other irrelevant odds. We noticed that the
only road through Kudamati was heavily barricaded by civilians.
C.J.Böhm
msc, Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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