Five injured in fresh clashes on Ambon island

Five injured in fresh clashes on Ambon island

AMBON, Maluku (JP): A fresh community clash broke out in Ambon
Island on Monday morning when residents from Tial and Tulehu
villages attacked nearby Suli village, injuring at least five
residents and destroying dozens of houses, an official said.

Spokesman of the civil emergency post in Ambon Maj. M. Djari
said at least 40 houses in Suli village in Salahutu district,
Central Maluku have been razed and five Suli residents injured as
a result of the clash.

Djari said the victims were rushed to the Indonesian Navy
hospital in Ambon for immediate treatment.

The predominantly Christian Suli village was attacked by
Tulehu residents from the hills and neighboring Tial residents
who initiated the clash by shooting and firing mortars.

The attack forced dozens of Suli residents to take refuge in
nearby Passo village. Suli residents questioned the Pattimura
military personnel for their failure to take quick action to stop
the rampage as the Tulehu village is located near the Pattimura
Military Headquarters.

Separately, Governor Saleh Latuconsina, who had confirmed the
attack on Monday, ordered the deployment of two companies of
joint military-police troops to the bordering area.

The governor also urged security personnel to take stern
action against those who were responsible or involved in the
attack.

So far, there has been no official explanation of the motive
for the attack but there was a possibility that the clash was
triggered by recent community clashes in neighboring Saparua
Island, also in Central Maluku.

The clash in Saparua Island that erupted on Wednesday has
claimed at least 13 lives and injured 27 others.

Meanwhile in Saparua Island, the joint police-military troops,
conducted on Monday, a sweeping operation in the villages which
were involved in the recent community clashes. The objective of
the operation was to strip all residents of illegal firearms and
weapons.

Later in the afternoon, hundreds of Christian residents staged
a peaceful rally at the governor's office on Jl. Pattimura,
protesting the failure of the leaders of the civil emergency
administration in Maluku province in restoring security and
order.

The protesters were received by Latuconsina and Maluku
Provincial Legislative Council Speaker Etty Sahuburua. Both
leaders vowed to convey the protesters' aspirations to the
central government.

While pointing at the leaders' failure, the protesters also
stressed the importance of the United Nations' intervention in
ending the violence.

The protesters' spokesman Jimmy Mailoa from the All-Maluku
Protestant Churches declared a week of mourning starting from
Sept. 26 for Christians, telling them to stay at home, fast and
pray.

Christian residents were told to wear black clothes or ribbons
if they had to go outdoors. (49/lup)