Police put Ambon city on top alert<\/p>\n
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon<\/p>\n
Bracing for the self-proclaimed South Maluku Republic (RMS)'s
\n55th anniversary on Monday, security has been tightened in Ambon,
\nand the police have declared an alert to anticipate any
\ndisturbances in the city.<\/p>\n
\"We're now on top alert and we've posted police personnel to
\nconflict-prone areas,\" Ambon and Lease Islands Police chief Adj.
\nSr. Comr. Leonidas Braksan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Some 745 police personnel have been deployed in Ambon and the
\nLease islands as well as two antiterror police units and Mobile
\nBrigade (Brimob) troopers.<\/p>\n
The police are also conducting helicopter patrols, especially in
\nthe Kudamati area, one of the RMS strongholds in Nusaniwe district.<\/p>\n
Leonidas said the air patrols were necessary since based on
\nlast year's experience, RMS flags might be raised in more remote
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\"In order to avoid a repeat of last year's events, we are
\nsetting up posts in areas where flags might be hoisted. And the
\nair patrols will help as the officers on the ground will not be
\nable to cover everywhere,\" he said.<\/p>\n
At least 38 people died and hundreds were injured in four-days
\nof communal clashes in Ambon last year, allegedly triggered by a
\nrally held by members of the separatist Maluku Sovereignty Front
\n(FKM), who are mostly Christians, to mark the RMS anniversary.<\/p>\n
The clashes last year were the worst since the inking of the
\nMalino II Peace Pact in 2002, which was signed after Ambon was
\nrocked by major sectarian clashes in 1999, in which thousands of
\npeople were killed and hundreds of thousands of others were
\nforced to flee their homes.<\/p>\n
This time around, the police have even occupied the houses of
\nRMS leaders, such as Alex Manuputty, who is in exile in the
\nUnited States, to prevent any incidents.<\/p>\n
Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. (Pol.) Adityawaman requested
\npeople to trust the police and military to provide security,
\nwhile Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu asked government and
\nprivate sector offices to continue working as usual on Monday.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, two bomb scares occurred in the city at different
\nplaces and time. The first one took place at the Ambon Plaza
\nshopping center at 2 p.m. local time, or 12 noon Jakarta time,
\nand the second took place at a Bank Central Asia branch at 7:30
\np.m. local time.<\/p>\n
After conducting searches, the police bomb squad found
\nnothing.<\/p>\n
Leonidas said the shopping center received an anonymous phone
\ncall saying a bomb had been planted there, while in the case of
\nthe bank, a suspicious cardboard box had been left on the
\nsidewalk in front of the bank. \"Residents were suspicious and
\nreported the box to the police. It turned out the box contained a
\ndead cat,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The police also arrested suspected RMS supporters in the
\nBatumeja area on Saturday, confiscating a number of pieces of
\nevidence, including two RMS flags, a documentary film on the
\nApril 25 riots last year, and another on the group's activities
\nin Europe.<\/p>\n
A married couple, Johny Rijoli and Rosanna, was also arrested
\non the same day. The suspected RMS supporters were taken into
\npolice custody for allegedly possessing a schedule of Alex
\nManuputty's activities the day before he left for the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, most people in the city appeared to be going about
\ntheir normal activities, including attending morning church
\nservices.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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