Authorities told to probe rioters' access to guns

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)