Fuel shortage hits Ambon
M. Azis Tunny, Ambon
A gasoline and kerosene shortage has hit the troubled city of Ambon, Maluku province, during the past two weeks, leading to soaring fuel prices in the still-tense town.
The shortage came after bloody sectarian violence in the area, in which 39 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured. The violence has made transportation to the city more difficult.
Before the April 25 conflict the price of kerosene stood at about Rp 930 a liter. Now it stands at Rp 1,500.
Gasoline has also surged to Rp 2,200 after the conflict, compared to only Rp 1,810 before.
Salma Pellu, a gasoline retailer on Jl. Jendral Sudirman said his distributors raised the price of gasoline following the April conflict, which forced him to follow suit to avoid losses.
The distributors told him they had to raise the price of gasoline due to problems with transportation.
A fuel station on Jl. Yos Sudarso had also been hard hit because of its reduced supply from state oil and gas company PT Pertamina's Waiyame operations in Ambon, Salma said.
Pertamina used to regularly transport about 25,000 liters of gasoline to the station but had only sent 10,000 liters during the past two weeks.
Many routes to the city were shut after the conflict put a spanner in the distribution, Salma said. Pertamina was not able to dispatch tankers to various fuel stations and distributors throughout the city for security reasons.
Abdullah Wahab, a kerosene retailer, said he was selling kerosene at Rp 1,300 a liter because of the rising cost of sea transportation.
Despite the fuel problems, Ambon's situation has been much improved during the past few days. No renewed clashes have been reported but the situation remains tense.
Two danger zones, Tanah Lapang Kecil and Waringin in Nusaniwe, were deserted as of Wednesday. A large barrier placed on the main road of Jl. Sitanala to separate Muslim and Christian areas has not yet been removed.
Police remained stationed at the Maluku Governor's office to protect it and people stayed in their community areas along religious lines, with traditional markets still segregated. Muslims traded in the Batumerah and Old City Markets, while Christian traders occupied the Batumeja and Kaget Batugantong areas.
The Ambon Plaza on Jl. Sam Ratulangi has been reopened but the mall is only visited by Muslims as it is located in a Muslim area.
People are also still choosing to use sea transportation rather than traveling by land to avoid danger.
"I am still too afraid to pass through Christian areas, as I don't want to die," said Husain, a pedicab driver.
The city of Ambon has been divided along religious lines since sectarian conflicts broke out in the island in 1999.