[Sent to Joyo by an Australian who in turn received it from a
highly-reliable contact in Ambon]
June 26, 2000
Christian Journalists in Ambon targeted
Journalists from the Christian newspaper 'Siwa Lima'in Ambon have received
death threats from the Laskar Jihad, or Islamic Holy Warriors, who have also
threatened to raze the Siwa Lima's office, forcing them to secretly shift to
a new location over the weekend.
The Siwa Lima had recently called for International intervention to prevent
the genocide of Ambon's Christian population. Last Friday's lead story
quoted Catholic priests claiming that it would be better for two thousand
rioters to be shot than for hundreds of thousands of Christians to be killed
or exiled.
Christians this morning were bracing for a Muslim attack on the central
Maranatha Church and many were evacuating women and children to the mountain
villages of Sare and Atelai. The Christian centre of Kudamati was attacked
on Sunday and the Catholic Otoquik hospital burnt down. Journalists speaking
from their secret hideouts confirmed the arrival of hundreds more Jihad
warriors with heavy weapons, including grenade launchers and incendiary
devices, on the 'Bukit Seguntang' ferry from Jakarta on Saturday. Five
truckloads of Jihad warriors wearing GAM [Free Aceh] T-shirts had also
arrived on the island of Hitu.
The christian village of Galala, where Australian soldiers fought the
Japanese during WW 2, was destroyed by tank driving Jihad warriors. The
Austrlian War Memorial to the 2/4th GUll FORCE soldiers has been the scene
of fierce fighting and has fallen to the Jihad.
Christians lost 11 dead during the unsuccessful defence of UKIM, the
Christian University which was burnt down on Saturday morning. After Muslims
broke into a military warehouse and took weapons on Friday, attacking and
destroying the Police HQ, Christians and police joined to counterattack the
Military Diponegoro base but were beaten back. Christians later obtained
some ammunition from a police warehouse.
In a secret meeting on Sunday, Maluku Governor Latuconsina and the
Parliamentary leader Etty Sahuburua met with the Military commander General
Max Tamaela to ask him to order troops to shoot the attackers. Sources said
that Tamaela was paralysed with fear, worried that he could be accused of
human rights abuses. The Meeting reportedly broke up with all three men in
tears.
The Indonesian Catholic Bishops' Conference this morning called for the Navy
to evacuate refugees, while the Protestant Churches continue to call for
International intervention. Sources in Ambon claim the latest round of
violence resulted from last week's rejection by the local parliament of the
military's Civil Emergency proposal. The sources claim that the military is
now threatening to make Ambon into a DOM, or zone of military operation.
They claim that Ex Generals associated with Megawati's PDIP party in Jakarta
are pushing this scenario strongly.
The Indonesian military in Ambon is engaged in a civil war. Battalions 733,
303, 405 and 611 are fighting with the Muslims while 509, 403 and 507 are
said to be neutral. The riot police, Brimob, mainly of West Papuan
extraction, have sided with the Christians. Indonesia's President Wahid must
face an extaordinary joint parliamentary meeting later in August, during
which an attempt may be made to topple him.
Opposition leaders Amien Rais and Megawati Sukarnoputri are both said to
have Presidential ambitions in which the fate of Christians of Maluku is
secondary to the chase for Muslim votes. Jakarta is fast losing the moral
authority to govern in Ambon. With no end in sight to the Christians'
suffering, the as yet small Ambon Independence movement is set to increase
its influence. A temporary International Peacekeeping force may be the only
way to help Jakarta win back the people's trust.
Australia's voice carries little resonance in Jakarta these days but
nevertheless Australia must raise the issue at the forthcoming meeting of
ASEAN nations. If the Jihad warriors and their allies in the military are
successful in Maluku, the Separatist Province of West Papua will be their
next target. In a worst case scenario Australia could be flooded with tens
of thousands of Christian refugees.
A meeting of the Australian Council of Christian Churches later today will
be asked to carry a motion calling for International intervention in Ambon
and for the Australian Government to accept Ambonese refugees. Ambon has
been a stronghold of Christianity in Indonesia since the missionary Saint
Francis Xavier visited Maluku in the Sixteenth Century.
----- End of forwarded message from joyo@aol.com -----
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