Four dead in latest Maluku violence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Communal violence in the riot-torn province of
\nMaluku claimed more lives on Friday when a group of gunmen fired
\non a boat loaded with people in waters near the provincial
\ncapital of Ambon.<\/p>\n
Antara reported at least four people were killed and seven
\nothers injured in the latest outbreak of brutality, adding to the
\ndeath toll of more than 700 since the cycle of revenge first
\nstarted in mid-January.<\/p>\n
The news agency said one of the casualties was a child and
\nanother was identified as Tuty Poserratu.<\/p>\n
Maluku Military chief Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela said the identity
\nof the assailants remained unknown.<\/p>\n
Antara said the gunmen were aboard a boat when they sprayed
\nthe vessel carrying Tuty and her fellow passengers with bullets.<\/p>\n
The violence came just one week after President Abdurrahman
\nWahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri visited Ambon in
\nan effort to bring peace to the region.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the leader of the Tidore islands in North Maluku,
\nDjafar Syah, called on local political leaders not to manipulate
\nsocial and religious differences in the area for their own
\npolitical agenda.<\/p>\n
\"It is not fair to fight for political interests by
\nsacrificing the interests of local people,\" Djafar was quoted by
\nAntara as saying on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Djafar was referring to clashes between Muslims and Christians
\nin North Maluku in November which were reportedly triggered by
\nterritorial disputes.<\/p>\n
At least 29 people were killed and eight others seriously
\ninjured in the clashes in the North Maluku towns of Soa Siu and
\nTernate, some 500 kilometers north of Ambon, early last month.<\/p>\n
Police said that some 14 churches and 275 houses, including 27
\nowned by police officers, were also set on fire in the riot.<\/p>\n
The communal clashes in North Maluku first erupted in
\npredominantly Muslim Soa Siu and then spread to the nearby town
\nof Ternate.<\/p>\n
Ternate is the capital of North Maluku, one of the country's
\nthree newly established provinces.<\/p>\n
Police have confiscated at least nine homemade rifles, one
\nhand grenade, five cartons of ammunition and dozens of sharp
\nweapons following the sectarian clashes last month.<\/p>\n
At the time, thousands of people were evacuated by navy ships
\nto Bitung in North Sulawesi, while hundreds others were seeking
\nshelter at local police and military headquarters.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of people have fled to other provinces as
\nviolence has escalated in the Maluku islands. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-dead-in-latest-maluku-violence-1447893297",
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