Fuel shortage hits Ambon

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.