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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 crisiscentre01@hotmail.com
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THE
SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report No. 308
2002-08-08
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Ambon,
August 8, 2002
1. UNREST IN THE
TOBELO AREA – As was reported to us by the Tobelo “Lembaga
HAM” (Human Rights Foundation), this morning there was “some
instability” in the village of Gorua, Tobelo area, North
Halmahera, North Moluccas. At about 9.00 a.m. Muslims threw stones
at an autocar that passed through the village, shattering its
front and rear window panes. Half an hour later, at the border of
the villages of Gorua and Wari, there was a bomb explosion and
gunfire. It turned out that Muslims from Gorua were starting an
attack on Wari. Some dozens of nearby Wari houses were set ablaze,
including two refugees barraques. One Christian resident from
Gorua was severely injured. The Christians took revenge by
launching an attack on Gorua, in which several dozens of both
Muslim and Christian houses and a primary school building were
burned down. In Gorua one corpse was found, but has not been
identified yet. By intervention of the Marine C-732 company and
police forces from Tobelo the combatants withdrew at last.
Meanwhile both Christian and Muslim civilians from both villages
fled in large numbers to the town of Tobelo and elsewhere. Like
last week (Report 306) the locally stationed Zipur-5 Brawija
military forces proved to be unable to cope with these clashes.
2. VICTIMS OF LAND MINES – Last Saturday, August 3, a man
was killed when stepping on a land mine. Last Tuesday, August 6,
again somebody tripped on a land mine; one of his legs had to be
amputated. Both tragic events happened not far from the village of
Suli, island of Ambon.
3. JAFAR UMAR THALIB TRIAL POSTPONED – “The Jakarta
Post” daily reports that the trial of Laskar Jihad leader Jafar
Umar Thalib by the East Jakarta District Court has been adjourned
till August 15. Jafar is charged with inciting violence in Ambon,
insulting President Megawati and inciting hatred against the
government. Requested by presiding judge Mansyur Nasution whether
he felt in good health, Jafar conceded that “his mind was very
depressed by the fact that he was being treated unfairly”,
whereupon the judge decided to adjourn the trial. Another reason
for postponing the case was the expected turbulent situation in
connection with the annual session of the MPR (The People’s
Consultative Assembly).
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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