Ambon still tense after outburst of violence on Friday
Ambon still tense after outburst of violence on Friday
AMBON, Maluku (JP): As the death toll climbed to 12, Ambon
remained tense over the weekend following the latest outburst of
violence on Friday.
Some natural intervention helped cool down the situation on
Sunday as rain soaked the largely empty city streets.
Security personnel continued to patrol the town, keeping a
watchful eye on those areas prone to clashes.
"Thank god it's been raining all day. People can't go out of
their houses and the situation is relatively calmer than the
previous day," a resident told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Ambon Police chief Lt. Col. Ghufron said on Saturday four of
the 62 people injured in Friday's clashes died at Al Fatah
Islamic Hospital, raising the death toll from the incident to 12.
Among those seriously injured in the violence were two
security personnel.
"They were victims of homemade weapons used by the rioters,"
Ghufron said here on Saturday.
Witnesses said violence erupted when a mob was prevented from
attacking government buildings by security personnel.
Tos Diaz of Maranatha Church said the clashes on Friday
occurred in three separate locations.
"They did not occur simultaneously, but one after another," he
told the Post on Sunday by telephone.
He also said he thought the number of casualties could be much
higher than reported by officials.
The initial incident took place in front of the Kota Police
station on Jl. A.Y. Patti, near Jl. Sultan Hairun.
A deployment of marines reportedly were able to disperse the
crowd by firing warning shots into the air, but the mob then
gathered in the Simpang area, near a mosque, where they clashed
with residents.
"For the last two days, we have heard gunshots and blasts
(from explosive devices) in the distance," Teta, a resident
living near Mardika, said.
In Jakarta, the Indonesian Ulemas Council on Sunday condemned
the shootings near the Al-Fatah Mosque and accused the military
and police of being involved in an interreligious conflict which
they were supposed to stop.
"The council deeply regrets the measures taken by military and
police personnel and demand that the incident be thoroughly
investigated, because security personnel are obliged to protect
the people," council secretary-general Nazri Adhlani was quoted
by Antara as saying.
The council also urged the government and military to end the
prolonged violence in Ambon.
"It is likely that the conflicts in Ambon will never be
settled because the roots of the problem have not been completely
investigated, like the issues of separatism and the supply of
weapons," he said. (emf/48)