Ambon still tense but violence slows
The Jakarta Post, Ambon/Jakarta
Religiously divided Ambon returned to a semblance of normalcy in some areas but tension remained high on Thursday after four days of bloodletting between Muslims and Christians, which has left at least 36 people dead and hundreds injured.
In Jakarta, acting Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Hari Sabarno said that law enforcement and security patrols would be intensified to contain the violence.
Public markets in downtown Ambon were open and public transportation was running as schools resumed classes. Pupils and students that could not reach their schools, however, were asked to report to go to the nearest school to their homes.
A daughter of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Puan Maharani, visited the Al Fatah Hospital on Thursday and promised to provide badly needed medicine.
The visit came just one day after a high-powered government team, including Hari, military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, decided to cut short their visit and remained at Pattimura Airport, some 35 kilometers outside Ambon -- instead of going into the city -- due to security concerns.
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, Hari said that imposing a state of civil emergency was probably unnecessary at this time.
He, however, promised to intensify law enforcement and security patrols in the province.
Gen. Endriartono, meanwhile, said that he had issued orders for snipers to be shot on sight. "I have already issued an order to the provincial military commander. If they find them (snipers) they should just shoot them," he said.
Agence France-Presse reported Thursday that a young man was shot in the neck by a sniper in the Tanah Lapang Kecil area near the governor's office.
Locals rushed the 26-year-old man to Al Fatah hospital where staff said later he was not in critical condition.
Endriartono said members of the Laskar Jihad militia, which sent thousands of fighters to Ambon from 2000 to 2002 and vowed to do so again this week, would not be allowed to return.
"We will take steps so that this (Jihadis from Java joining the fight) will not take place," he said.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, legislators called for the dismissal of Maluku police chief Brig. Gen. Bambang Sutrisno for failing to maintain security in Ambon.
"There must be an evaluation into the performance of the Maluku police chief because he is accountable for security. If the performance is poor, he must be dismissed," said Ibrahim Ambong, chairman of House Commission I for defense and security affairs, after an internal meeting here on Thursday.
Commission vice chairman Effendi Choirie said that the evaluation must also target the performance of the Maluku military chief, the National Police chief as well as the Indonesian military commander.
They made the statement after hearing a report from a House's fact-finding team which just returned from Ambon to get first hand information on the fresh communal conflict in the spice islands.
Ambong added that the security force must not hesitate to take harsh measures against people loyal to the South Maluku Republic (RMS) because they had been campaigning for independence.
Franklin W. Kayhatu who led the fact-finding team to Ambon said that the Maluku police chief should be held accountable.
He added that the sectarian clashes would likely not spread outside the city as they did 3 years ago, because the Ambonese people had understood that they would not benefit from conflict.
The conflict has forced at least 607 people to leave their homes for refuge at places like the Al-Fatah mosque or the Waihaong amusement center in Ambon.
Those seeking shelter come from the areas of Trikora, Talake, Tanah Tinggi, AY Patty and Air Mata Cina.
Some youth organizations, including the Islamic Students Association (HMI) and the Union of Indonesian Muslim Students Movement (KAMMI), built humanitarian posts to help the refugees.
The number of refugees could possibly rise because the conflict had not calmed down.