Authorities told to probe rioters' access to guns
AMBON, Maluku (JP): While praising the arrest of 12 armed rioters following the sectarian clash in Nusaniwe district on Wednesday, a human rights activist called on security authorities on Thursday to probe the rioters' access to military weapons.
"We've heard reports about the use of military standard weapons.
"The arrest of the rioters and the seizure of their weapons proved that the information we had received was true," Secretary to the Ambon office of the National Commission on Human Rights B.N. Marbun told reporters.
Security personnel arrested the 12 migrant rioters following the violent incident on Wednesday at the Pohon Mangga area of the Air Salobar district, Ambon. They aged between 12 and 23 years old and claimed to be members of the Yogyakarta-based Lasykar Jihad Ahlussunah Wal Jamaah.
The personnel also seized military standard grenade launchers, 36 homemade weapons and bombs, four anti-bullet vests, 11 pairs of army boots, 63 live bullets, dozens of poisoned arrows and sharp weapons.
Marbun said a thorough investigation into the 12 rioters and their ammunition supplies was necessary to end the violence.
He urged local military officers to check their arsenal for possible leaks and to report to the Indonesian Military Headquarters about the latest evidence seized from the 12 rioters.
"We have found evidence of irregular conduct in this incident as the weapons which had been seized from the rioters were of specific types.
"There must have been illegal weapons transactions," he said, while hinting at the possible involvement of military officers.
In an effort to help end the sectarian violence, the Indonesian Military should clarify the possible illegal weapons transaction to cut the arms supplies to the rioters, he added.
Meanwhile, fresh unrest broke out in Ulath village, Saparua island, Central Maluku on Thursday morning when armed rioters initiated mortar attacks from the neighboring Sirisori Salam village, killing two people and injuring three others.
Civil Emergency Post spokesman John Tomasowa quoted a report from Saparua District secretary T. Siahai on Thursday that one of the two fatalities had been identified as police Mobile Brigade officer Pvt. Effendi Bura.
The fresh attack had forced women and children to take shelter in school buildings.
U.S. warship
In a separate development, the Indonesian Navy drove away a U.S. Spurance Class-type destroyer out of the Maluku waters upon its suspicious arrival in the territory, an officer said.
Commodore Djoko Sumaryono, combat commandant in the Eastern Naval Fleet overseeing the country's eastern waters, said the Navy deployed its Rencong and Pandrong warships for the mission.
He said the American warship armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles was spotted in Indonesian territory between the Seram Sea and the Buru Sea on Saturday without sending clear messages of its intentions.
"It only said that it was using its right to pass through Indonesian waters without giving a further and more detailed explanation," Djoko said as quoted by Antara in Ambon on Thursday.
A ship named Rajawali, which belongs to a local businessman, was seen trying to approach the U.S. warship, Djoko said, adding that the local ship had been checked but nothing suspicious had been found.
He said the owner would be questioned about whether the ship was involved in supplying weapons to the conflict-torn province.
The news agency also reported that many had associated the warship's arrival with US Consul General Robert Polar's ongoing visit to Ambon to assess data on the province. (49/rms/lup)