Fresh Ambon clash kills six

Fresh Ambon clash kills six

Azis Tunny and Octavianus Pinontoan, Ambon

At least six people were reported killed and dozens of others
severely wounded on Sunday afternoon after a fresh major outbreak
hit Ambon, the capital of Maluku province.

The incident, which is feared to be a precursor to another
prolonged sectarian clash in the Spice Islands, also left a
United Nations building severely damaged.

The incident began when some 25 members of the separatist
Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM), mostly of the Christian faith,
staged a rally in Ambon to mark the 54th self-proclaimed
anniversary of the South Maluku Republic.

Led by FKM secretary-general Moses Tuanakotta, the rally
departed at 11:30 a.m. local time from the house of Alex
Manuputty in Kudamati subdistrict at 11.30 a.m local time.
Manuputty, the exiled chairman of the grouping, was convicted by
an Indonesian court, but fled to the U.S. before sentencing could
be carried out. The FKM members, carrying the group's flag,
headed to downtown Ambon, guarded by two motorcycle policemen.

On Jl. Dr. Tamaela, several of the group jeered at military
personnel passing the street, saying: "Hey, get out of here. This
is not Indonesian territory."

They also exchanged jeers and insults with the Muslim
community living along the street. The two groups hurled a few
stones at each other and more Muslims descended into the area.

At 1 p.m., Muslims and Christians began to form opposing lines
along at least four streets in Ambon, namely Jl. Diponegoro, Jl.
A.M. Sangadji, Jl. Sitanala and Jl. Anthony Ribok. They were
armed with machetes, homemade rifles, pipes, sticks and other
weapons.

The situation soon deteriorated into violence and Ambon was
again chaos. On Jl. Anthony Ribok, opposing groups fought openly
without the presence of any security personnel.

The United Nations Project Coordination Office on the same
street was set ablaze, while several cars parked outside the
building was gutted.

Patrick Sweeting, head of the local United Nations Development
Program's crisis prevention unit, said in Jakarta that all UN
staff in Maluku were safe and had been moved to a hotel in the
city. The UNDP has five staffers in Ambon and other UN agencies
have about another 10, he was quoted as saying by AFP.

Several refugee shelters in Mardika and Talake subdistricts
were also heavily damaged. Shots and explosions could be heard on
Sunday afternoon, while columns of smoke enveloped parts of the
city.

Residents quickly packed their belongings, left their homes
and fled to safer areas, while others stayed and remained
vigilant over further possible clashes.

With a tight security escort, Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen.
Bambang Sutrisno, Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu and Ambon
Mayor M. J. Papilaja made their way to Tugu Trikora, in front of
the Silo Church on Jl. A.M. Sangadji, to calm the people.

Bambang called on them not to leave their homes after 6 p.m.
and urged everyone to keep Maluku stable.

Provisional figures from Al Fatah Hospital show that the fresh
conflict left four dead and 50 others with severe injuries.
Haulussy Hospital reported two dead and nine injured, while 12
people were being treated at Muqadam Hospital, three of whom were
in critical condition.

Sunday's outbreak was the worst after the government-sponsored
Malino II peace pact was signed in 2002, following bloody
sectarian clashes that erupted three years earlier. The conflict
was triggered in January 1999 by a trivial incident between a bus
driver and a passenger from separate faiths. Thousands of Muslims
and Christians were killed, while hundreds of thousands fled to
safer places.

The government lifted the state of civil emergency in Maluku
last September, but it is feared the fresh Sunday outbreak might
signal a return to the city's bloody history.