Ambon residents flee to Southeast Sulawesi

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Riots that killed 31 people in Ambon, Maluku, last week have caused 3,000 residents to seek shelter in Sulawesi. They joined tens of thousands of migrants and Ambonese refugees here and in Baubau on Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi.

Earlier, deputy governor Paula Renyaan, who chairs the committee in charge of assisting refugees, said on Monday that the fresh riots had added a further 30,000 people to an estimated 40,000 displaced people in Ambon and 35,000 in Tual.

A total of 606 refugees were counted arriving at Soekarno- Hatta Port in Ujungpandang. Two thousand other passengers disembarked at Buton. A crew member of the Lambelu ship said the ship had taken passengers from Ambon's Navy port, where it was safer.

"We didn't want to take any risks," he said.

The remaining passengers headed for Java. Of the 606 passengers to land at Ujungpandang, only 399 had tickets, while 50 children were among them.

"The condition is worse now," a passenger said referring to the unrest which first erupted in Ambon in January. Communal clashes there have led to at least 300 dead, and hundreds of homes, offices and stores were destroyed in fire.

"The fighting groups are now using weapons like those used by the military," Muhammad, a passenger, said. Most weapons described in the clashes so far have been sharp weapons and bows and arrows. However, bombs were also reported to have been used, damaging schools among other buildings.

Another passenger, religious teacher Najib, urged authorities to act against the people carrying weapons freely. "Ambon is facing bloodshed," he said, adding it could get worse if nothing is done.

Minister of Health Farid A. Moeloek said in Jakarta on Tuesday that 33 physicians from the Indonesian Military (TNI) were being deployed to Ambon to care for the thousands of refugees, Antara reported.

On Monday, aides to President B.J. Habibie said his visit to Ambon, planned for this week, had been postponed. The aides would not give a reason, but security concerns are suspected to be the cause. (27/anr)