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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. 295
2002-06-15
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Ambon,
June 15, 2002
1.
DEADLINE HANDOVER OF WEAPONRY In a written
instruction, the Responsible for the Civil Emergency, Governor
M.S.Latuconsina, has put the ultimate deadline for voluntarily
surrendering of illegally possessed weapons, ammunition and any
other explosives on June 30, 2002.
2.
STERN STATEMENTS BY VICE-PRESIDENT During his
recent visit to Ambon, Vice-President Hamzah Haz when
overseeing the weapons handover by Muslim militants stated
that any sounds of explosives or gunfire that from now on will be
heard, are to be considered to originate from the RMS. The
military chief commander then must immediately arrest these
evildoers. No wonder this remark evoked astonishment among the
christians (that are usually but unduly identified with
RMS).
During
his dialogue with local Christian and Muslim leaders in the aula
of the military Masariku 733 complex, Hamzah Haz warned Governor
M.S.Latuconsina that he will be dumped as the Civil Emergency
Administrator, if the RMS flag would be hoisted again anywhere in
the Moluccas. Another astonishing remark of this Vice-President
3.
MUSLIM DEMANDS Ambon Muslim chief Mohamad Yusuf
Eli stated that now that the Muslims have handed over their
weapons, the Christians must do likewise. They also should stop
accepting financial and weapons assistance from their brethern
living in the Netherlands.
On
occasion of the weapons handover by Muslim militants on June 11,
Muslim leader Ustad Attamimi called to mind that former military
chief commander Mustopo had declared that four caches of RMS/FKM
owned weaponry had been located. He demanded the new military
chief commander Djoko Santoso to carry out large-scale sweeping on
those four hidden weapon storages within a week. If not, he
said, we cannot guarantee that no action will be taken against
the christian community. Djoko Santoso, however, declared that
the four locations had already been explored, but no weapons had
been found.
4.
COMMEMORATING RMS TRAIN HIJACKING Last June 11
it was 25 years ago that Dutch and British military ended the
hijacking of a passengers train by RMS militants in the eastern
Province of Drente, the Netherlands. Some 500 were present at its
recent commemoration in Holland, which was attended among others
by the President of the Republic of the South Moluccas (RMS) in
exile, Frans Tutuhatunewa.
This
commemoration went unnoticed in the Moluccas itself. Besides,
during the 3½ years conflict
in the Moluccas, the RMS or any of its leaders in the Moluccas (if
there are any) have never showed themselves, though a list of one
hundred RMS actors can be found when visiting http://www.laskarjihad.or.id/id
.
Dr.
Thamrin Amal Tomagola, a native of the Moluccas and a lecturer at
the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, does not see the RMS
posing a great problem to the security of the Moluccas. Rather he
sees it as a tactic to justify any military action in the Moluccas
by the central government.
5.
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY TEAM FORMED According to The
Jakarta Post daily of June 14, the Indonesian government has
established an independent team to ensure an impartial
investigation into the three years of conflict. See
Report 253 no.2 and
Report 272 no.4 (however, rather incompatible with Report 285
no.3
). The team is made up of 14 people of various
backgrounds, including government officials, human rights
activists, religious figures and politicians. Deputy to the
Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs, I Wayan
Karya, was named the teamleader, with Bambang W.Suharto of the
National Commission on Human Rights the deputy. Nine cases to be
solved are specifically mentioned: (1) The January 19,1999
incident (start of the conflict); (2) the RMS issue; (3) the
Christian RMS issue; (4) the Laskar Kristus issue; (5) the FKM
(Front Kedaulatan Maluku); (6) the Laksar Jihad issue; (7) reports
of forced conversion of religion; (8) reports of human rights
violations; (9) other crimes related to the Moluccas conflict.
C.J.Bφhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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