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)