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Muslim mob
burns half-built church in Indonesia's Ambon city
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AP
Thu
Apr 25, 2002 4:15 AM ET |
AMBON, Indonesia - A Muslim mob in the
Indonesian city of Ambon torched a partially constructed Christian
church Thursday as protests against the flying of separatist flags
turned violent, witnesses said.
At least four people were injured
when government security forces opened fire to stop the attack on
the Protestant Silo Church, which was being rebuilt after it was
razed during violence between Muslims and Christians that started
in 1999.
The incident is the latest in a
series that is testing the strength of a peace deal signed in
February between the two communities. The truce had succeeded in
stemming much of the sectarian fighting that has left up to 9,000
people dead.
Earlier Thursday, a mostly
Christian separatist group hoisted about a dozen independence
banners around the capital of Maluku province. At least seven
large flags were attached to balloons and released into the sky
shortly after dawn.
Around 1,000 Muslim protesters took
to the streets in protest over the flags. Police fired warning
shots to prevent them from reaching a Christian area of the
coastal city.
Three large explosions were heard,
witnesses said. But there were no reports of injuries or property
damage.
The Maluku Sovereignty Front, known
by its Indonesian acronym RMS, had repeatedly warned it planned to
mark the 52nd anniversary of a failed independence bid on
Thursday.
The RMS is a small group banned in
Indonesia for its aggressive campaign to make the southern part of
the Maluku archipelago an independent nation, demanding a
referendum on self-determination in the province.
It has come to represent hardline
Christian aspirations in the region, 2,600 kilometers (1,600
miles) east of Jakarta. Its presence is often cited by local
Muslims as justification for their own militancy.
Indonesia is predominantly Muslim,
but Maluku's two million inhabitants are evenly divided between
Muslims and Christians.
The group claims widespread
support. But analysts say its reach and influence are small
compared to separatist groups in Aceh and Papua province.
"We don't want violence, but
we are determined to keep struggling for independence," said
its secretary general, Moses Tuankota.
Two of its leaders were arrested
last week and have been charged with treason.
Earlier this month, a bomb exploded
in a Christian area of the city, killing seven and injuring scores
of others. It was the first major violation of the cease-fire.
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