Ambon leaders seek security guarantee for travelers<\/p>\n
M. Azis Tunny, Ambon<\/p>\n
As the violence dies down in Ambon, residents are relying on
\ntalks between community leaders to enable them go about their
\ndaily business without fear of violence.<\/p>\n
Although most road barricades stopping traffic between
\nChristian and Muslim communities have been taken down, many
\nresidents are still spending time and money taking winding
\nmountain routes or speedboat rides to reach nearby destinations
\nto avoid potential danger spots.<\/p>\n
The barriers were set up after renewed violence erupted on
\nApril 25, the anniversary of the separatist Republic of South
\nMaluku (RMS) movement. Thirty-eight people have died in the
\nbloodshed so far, many from gunshot wounds, while religious
\nsegregation in the region has become clearer again as residents
\nrefrain from passing areas dominated by those of another faith.<\/p>\n
Employees and students returning from Ambon to the Christian-
\ndominated Passo village normally take a short ride on a public
\nminivan, paying Rp 3,000 for the 13-kilometer trip.<\/p>\n
Now, people have again adopted the route taken in days of the
\nheaviest violence between 1999 and 2002, taking a ride on a steep
\nmountain track that costs Rp 10,000 and passes six villages and
\nhigh cliffs.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, public transport through routes passing both Muslim
\nand Christian areas had still not been resumed in Ambon.<\/p>\n
To reach the Muslim-dominated Tulehu village, 24 kilometers to
\nthe east of Ambon residents now spend up to Rp 26,000 for two
\nspeedboat rides and two minivan rides to reach the village. It
\nused to cost Rp 5,000 in a public van.<\/p>\n
\"There's usually many passengers in times of war, and few when
\nit's secure again,\" said Ramli, a speedboat driver operating the
\nroute from the Muslim-dominated Batumerah area to the Christian
\narea of Poka across the bay.<\/p>\n
Public buses and vans usually found at the Mardika Terminal, a
\n\"neutral\" area, are now segregated according to the religions of
\ntheir passengers. Public vans for Muslim areas are parked in the
\nBatumerah shopping area while those for Christian areas are found
\non Jl. Pattimura.<\/p>\n
The traditional ratu (queen) of Passo, Theresia Maitimu, said
\non Friday that she was working with A. Rahman Tjirebon, acting
\nleader of the Muslim-dominated Batumerah village, to seek a
\nguarantee of security from both sides, so that passersby could
\ntravel through both areas.<\/p>\n
Until then, \"land routes (passing main roads) are still
\nclosed,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The villages of Passo and Batumerah are the main gates leading
\nto and from Ambon. In the earlier conflict these villages became
\namong the most feared sites to cross.<\/p>\n
A guarantee of security among traditional leaders, who are the
\nvillage heads of respective religious communities, became central
\nto resuming normalcy, following the three years of conflict in
\nwhich thousands died.<\/p>\n
Such guarantees were made possible only when traditional
\nleaders, who often had led or condoned the actions of their
\nmilitia, agreed to stop taking revenge and engage in peace-
\nmaking.<\/p>\n
Neighboring villages such as Batumerah and Passo are \"related\"
\n(desa pela) in the traditional sense that blood is thicker than
\nreligion, but anthropologists say such ties have become blurred
\nover the years through immigration from other islands and a lack
\nof effort to reduce religious segregation.<\/p>\n
Peace-makers in Maluku have stressed efforts to return to the
\nancestral bonds between neighboring villages regardless of
\nreligion.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ambon-leaders-seek-security-guarantee-for-travelers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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