Foreign envoys visit Ambon for firsthand information

Foreign envoys visit Ambon for firsthand information

By Edith Hartanto

AMBON, Maluku (JP): A group of foreign envoys, assisted by
Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Erna Witoelar,
visited Ambon island on Tuesday in an effort to obtain firsthand
information for the planned rehabilitation of strife-torn Maluku.

"Basically, we want to see whether the people of Maluku are
ready to live again in a process of recuperation and physical
rehabilitation," Erna told reporters during the visit.

We believe, she added, that physical development will quicken
economic recovery and resumption of normal activities, so that
the people of Maluku can forget about the conflict.

The group consists of three ambassadors and diplomats from
seven countries, including Australia, Japan and the United
States, and also representatives from the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) and the European Union (EU).

The ambassadors were Harald Sandberg from Sweden, Richard
Gozney from the United Kingdom and Dutch ambassador Baron Van
Heemstra.

In a meeting with civil emergency authorities in Maluku, it
was revealed that the number of residents in the Ambon capital
has sharply dropped from 314,400 in 1998 to only some 265,000 in
1999 after the riots began, as many residents have left their
homes due to continuing riots.

The city's revenue has also plunged from Rp 5.67 billion
(US$569,842) in 1998 to only Rp 254.97 million ($26,838.9) last
year.

The foreign envoys carefully reviewed the situation in Maluku,
saying that they were committed to speeding up the recovery of
people's livelihoods and to conduct humanitarian aid for over
130,000 refugees in Maluku.

"We want to see how things go. What is the use of rebuilding
the city if riots keep on taking place and the buildings become
ruined again," Kees Van Baar, first secretary of the Netherlands
embassy told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the meeting.

Van Baar however said that the Netherlands government will
continue with ongoing funds for emergency assistance to the
victims of violence in Maluku with a total of US$9.5 million.

"From the fund, $6.5 million is humanitarian aid for
Maluku and North Maluku, $2 million is for a reconstruction
project which will be conducted in Kei island in southeast Maluku
starting this month. The remaining $1 million is for a community
recovery program," he said.

"In the community recovery program, we'll let people decide
their own needs, what they want to build, whether they need
schools, houses, or other facilities," he added.

The Maluku gubernatorial office has estimated that it would
need at least Rp 350 billion to rehabilitate Ambon city.

The group also visited several parts of Maluku which are
considered safe and conducive for physical rehabilitation.

Among the villages which have been hit by bloody conflicts in
the past three years are Hative Besar, Hative Kecil, Laha,
Sikule, Wayame, as well as the Halong naval base area.

The base is located about six kilometers east of Ambon and is
home to 3,000 refugees, both Christian and Muslim, who have been
living there since the second phase of rioting in Maluku began in
Oct. 1999.

Civil emergency authorities however warned that planned
physical rehabilitation can only begin in certain areas that are
relatively calm.

"I think it's almost impossible to look for neutral ground in
Maluku since almost all parts of the province have been struck by
conflict. Therefore, what should be done involves building the
economic infrastructure to bring about public prosperity and then
we can talk about building housing and other facilities," Maluku
police chief Brig. Gen. Firman Gani told The Post.

Firman also said that many people are traumatized and even
afraid to return to their own houses and so tend to live at
refugee shelters.

"Therefore, we have to make sure that we have the right
development target. For instance, it is impossible to rebuild
Pattimura University in Poka-Rumah Tiga area, Ambon as the place
was totally destroyed in an attack by Muslim rioters in June
2000. Even though Christians may want the 30-hectare campus to be
rebuilt, the Muslim rioters might well be predisposed to commit
another act of arson," he said.

Separately on Tuesday, Pattimura military commander Brig. Gen.
I Made Yasa said that if rehabilitation is due to begin, there
will be no tolerance for any deliberate acts of provocation or
riotous behavior in Maluku.

"We will enforce firm measures in policing our conduct as we
have done in the past couple of months. That includes affirmative
action from joint military troops (Yongab) during any unrest," he
said.

People here, he added, are tired of violence but there will
also be parties who like to stir chaos.

Made Yasa also revealed that the special joint military
intelligence unit (SGI) will be dismissed and sent back to the
Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters by the end of this month.

"We will use the local intelligence unit and continue scaling
down the police/military battalion from 17 to only 11
battalions," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Erna and her entourage also visited the
Mitramas community housing complex in Maros regency, South
Sulawesi, which is publicly funded and considered the first pilot
project for such a low-cost housing complex in eastern Indonesia.
(hdn)