THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS -- Report no.20

1.      From our observation, various sources and especially yesterday’s local newspaper "Suara Maluku" and today’s "Siwalima" we compile a summary about recent events as follows:

a)      Suara Maluku’s main headline: "AMBON KOTA BARBAR" = "Ambon the barbaric town".

There is no mentioning of a "battle", let alone between whom. It is just a report on heavy assaults, and nonstop shooting, bombing and burning by muslim forces. The muslim assailants were witnessed to use standard army weapons and ammunition. There was also evidence that in their destructive activities they were assisted by part of the military security forces, one of those mentioned is the 312 Kostrad-Majalengka battalion.

b)      All of the by [note unclear?] the muslims attacked locations are situated in the town of Ambon, mainly the town quarters of Diponegoro, nearby Airmata Cina, Urimessing, Pohon Pule, Manggadua. The assaults took place on July 15 and 16, including the whole night between. The (civilian) coordinator of Diponegoro (called Ketua [Chief] RT = Rukun Tetangga = neighbours’ solidarity) declared to the press, that the muslim masses could unimpeded carry out their destructive activities. The fire brigade apparently has given up putting out fires, too. When in the evening of July 14 the situation got very menacing for Diponegoro, this Ketua RT phoned the Civil Emergency Centre asking to protect the area. He was answered with just "Yes, we will try and do our best". However no significant protection by security forces was provided.

c)      The damage: a christian church at Airmata Cina was burned, a pedagogic academy at Pohon Puleh and its adjoining elementary school where laid in ashes. Three Banks on Diponegoro Broadway (Bank Perkreditan Modern, Bank Danamon and Bank Arta Graha) were badly damaged, the BII Bank (Bank Internasional Indonesia) was slightly damaged. During the evening of July 15, at 23.30 hrs., about fifty army military advanced to the Danamon Bank. The two bank employees, who have the rutine task of night watch, were requested to hand over the keys, since it was thought "that there were snipers on the upper floors". They said that they had no keys and that there were definitely no snipers in the building. Consequently both of them were seriously abused, the military forcibly got in, shooting at the inventory and destroying much of it.

In these neighbourhouds hundreds of houses of christians were burned down.

Part of the Manggadua neighbourhood is rather "exclusive" (VIP), with i.a. the residences of the Governor and the Police Chief Commander.

Are these two mansions to be assaulted next time? Fact is, that one mortar bomb (which, by the way, failed to explode) fell a hundred meters short of the Governor’s house and fifty meters short of the Police Commander’s house.

Up to now the Governor, Mr. Dr. Saleh Latuconsina, is still sheltering some two hundred (christian) refugees in his house. He is often there now, because it is fairly impossible for him to get from there to the Government Office Building at Batumeja.

d)      Several hundreds of families in the above mentioned neighbourhoods fled to safety in time. However, two people fled to their deaths: a woman and a 4 year old girl from Manggadua took to "safety" in Batugantung, but having arrived there, they were killed by a mortar bomb launched from great distance.

Total death toll was about twenty, among whom eight muslims. Several dozens of people were injured, among whom were at least two members of the security forces (of the 509 Kostrad Battalion).

2.      Yesterday morning there was no disturbance reported. However, in the afternoon one could hear moderate shooting and bombing in the neighbourhoods of Diponegoro and Urimessing.

Today, moderate shooting and bombing is heard again and clouds of smoke are visible at the Diponegoro quarters. It started at about ten o’clock, and at this very moment 15.30 hrs. even increasing in force.

Witnessing this continuous shooting and incessant burning, we ask ourselves: if it is the military that shoot, who and what are they shooting at? It is often witnessed that their ceaseless shooting is directed towards the embattled areas, not seldom resulting in killing and injuring the christians who are only defending their properties with their primitive rifles. The christians have no choice than to leave the area and surrender it to be destroyed.

It is very actually beyond belief that the 21 battalions of military that are now stationed in the Moluccas and North Moluccas

3.      These recent events only increase our conviction that the military forces are not able or lack the determination to end the violence and pave the way for peace. On the contrary, people are more and more frightened of these mostly unreliable forces who involve themselves in the conflict, specifically choosing the side of the muslim/jihad troops. Originally the areas of Airmata Cina and Manggadua were relatively safe, but since military were stationed at the nearby village of Kusu-Kusu with its several thousands of refugees, the trouble started. These quarters, together with Pohon Puleh and Diponegoro/Urimessing are in the vicinity of the Kodam XVI Pattimura Military Headquarters and the residence of the Military Chief Commander. This whole compound is supposedly being protected by the military. The access to it is via a "bottle-neck": the bridge at Pohon Puleh. But how easily the muslim/jihad troops cross this bridge! The military just withdraw and let them pass, part of them even join the party, to execute their disastrous mission of burning, destroying and killing, notwithstanding clear orders to disarm and arrest people who carry firearms illegally.

4.      People in town fear that within one or two days new muslim attacks will be launched, there being nothing and nobody to stop them in their apparent ultimate goal which seems to be: the devastation (and humiliation?) of Ambon and the annihilation of all that is christian. It is hard to believe that the autochthon/local muslim whole-heartedly endorse such program.

It is very astonishing that 21 battalions of military that are now stationed in the Moluccas and North Moluccas Provinces, can not stop the ever increasing violence.

5.      From Tobelo, a threatened christan enclave in the northen part of the island of Halmahera, North Moluccas, it is reported by the local parish priest, Father Titus Rahail Jr., that the situation is constantly under control. No unrest was reported to have happened there during the last few weeks.

THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS -- Report no.21

1)      Today’s local newspaper "Suara Maluku" provides rather detailed information on yesterday’s unrest, which started at about 11.00 a.m. with the burning of a number of houses in Manggadua town-quarters by muslim/jihad warriors.

At 13.00 hrs. another muslim mass tried to break through to a christian school complex at Urimessing; but christian civilians succeeded holding on. This happened at a distance of about fifty meters from the Military Kodam XVI Headquarters, but the military seemingly did not care.

Not long after a renewed attempt was launched, including the Adventist church as one of the targets, but to no avail.

Next target of the muslim/jihad troops was a christian settlement at Pohon Puleh. Initially they could be stopped by the army battalion 509, but eventually these had to withdraw for the shooting and bursting of grenades from the attackers, who were assisted by part of military of a not-mentioned battalion.

During the night there was a real war going on in Diponegoro quarters. Defenders, including four panzer vehicles, could not prevent part of the buildings on Diponegoro Broadway being burned.

In Urimessing, too, muslim/jihad troops executed further burning, after which from the islam quarters of Waihaong the loudspeakers could be heard proclaiming "Takbir Allah" probably to gather muslim people and give them spirit to fight,

2)      Last night hundreds of hysterical weeping people came fleeing from Diponegoro/Batu Gajah to our neighbourhood of Batumeja, taking shelter in the government elementary school opposite the Sisters’ Convent. Some Sisters went there to neutralize the situation and pray with the people.

3)      "Suara Maluku" also reports that the Governor as responsible of the Civil Emergency state, intends to isolate certain areas of the Moluccas Province, especially the island of Ambon. This means that people who have no business in Ambon, will not be allowed to enter the area, whereas non-Moluccans will be sent away (This will probably turn out to be another of all those measures and instructions which have no visible effect).

Also local vessels like speed boats will be put under control, for instance by allocating certain places along the shore where they have to report.

4)      The Military Chief Commander, Mr. I Made Yasa, told the reporters of the newsmedia that he will send the Jihad warriors off the island.

On the same occasion he (again) acknowledged that a number of military security forces are "involved" in the riots. The Zipur V battalion (which is most critized and feared by the christians) will be sent back to East Java. Also the (totally ineffective) military units in the quarters of Diponegoro and Airmata Cina will be replaced. However, can this be realized? When? We hope it will be soon…