Flights suspended to Ambon amid renewed fighting

JAKARTA (JP): The authorities halted for an indefinite period commercial flights to the riot-torn Maluku capital of Ambon on Tuesday, due to renewed clashes between Muslims and Christians that have killed at least 100 people and injured 400 others since late last month.

J.A. Hallatu, acting head of the local office of the communications ministry, said on Wednesday the flights were halted for security reasons following clashes last weekend in Laha village, near Pattimura Airport, some 30 kilometers across Ambon Bay.

Hallatu said command of the airport was transferred on Tuesday from civilian director Ramli Sangaji to Pattimura air base commander Lt. Col. Iskandar.

He also said that dozens of airport employees had been evacuated to Jakarta by a Hercules military plane on Wednesday morning following an attack on their dormitory on Tuesday.

Hallatu added that staff of state-owned Merpati Nusantara Airlines had also been evacuated from the city.

Privately owned Mandala Airlines temporarily halted its service to Ambon last week.

Meanwhile, one battalion of troops from West Java and the South Sumatra capital of Palembang arrived in Ambon on Wednesday to replace troops who had been stationed there for three months.

Maluku Military Commander Brig. Gen. Max Tamaella said the fresh troops were assigned to rebuild hundreds of houses burned down or damaged during the violence.

Witnesses said Ambon was calm on Wednesday, but sporadic clashes were still taking place outside the city in Wai, Liang, Laha and Tawiri villages.

Road blocks were still in place in a number of volatile neighborhoods. Marines and Army troops were seen clearing some road blocks from the streets.

Witnesses said earlier that barricades were set up following the shootings of a number of residents by a group of unidentified armed men last week.

Meanwhile, Antara said at least two people from the Kudamati area were injured in a mob attack on Wednesday.

The news agency said Julianus Tuhumuri, 67, and Damianus Labetubun, 54, suffered slash wounds and were still being treated at Haulusi General Hospital.

Two battalions of reinforcements from the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in Central Java arrived in Ambon on a naval ship earlier this month.

The military said there were four battalions of reinforcements in Ambon from outside the province.

One battalion of marines arrived in Ambon late last month after renewed violence between Muslims and Christians erupted on July 27.

The upsurge in violence has forced more than 34,000 people to seek shelter at 35 locations in the city, including mosques, churches and military barracks, and prompted thousands of others to flee to other provinces.

More than 400 people have been killed in communal clashes in the province since the violence first erupted in Ambon in mid- January.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Ujungpandang, dozens of Muslim students protested in front of the local legislature and military command headquarters demanding an end to violence in Ambon. (27/48/byg)