Government asked to probe last week's attack in Ambon

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesia Ulemas Council (MUI) asked the government on Monday to probe an attack against residents of the Batumerah district in Ambon, the capital of Maluku, last week that allegedly claimed the lives of 15 civilians.

At a media briefing on Monday, MUI secretary-general Din Syamsudin said Muslim organizations across the country condemned the attack and the government should take stern measures against the radical group that ignited the clash.

"The MUI demands an honest probe into the incident which occurred between Jan. 19 and Jan. 21. Everyone involved in the attack should be punished," Din, who was accompanied by MUI chairman Amidhan, said as quoted by Antara.

Din said the MUI suspected that the attack was conducted by members of the Indonesian Military (TNI), stationed in the restive province.

"The MUI demands that the security officers be held responsible for the incident," he said.

However, official reports said that last week's incident happened because the TNI had to conduct a joint operation with the police against armed rioters on the border between the Batu Merah - Mardika and Pos Kota districts.

No casualties were reported as a result of the incident, but in previous gunfights between armed mobs and the security forces that lasted for three days, at least three people were killed and scores of others injured.

It was reported that the chief of the Pattimura Military Command which oversees Maluku and North Maluku provinces, Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa, said that a combined force swept into the Batu Merah - Mardika area and managed to apprehend four rioters, while managing to seize a revolver, a rifle, two bombs and ammunition for an M-16 rifle.

Din further said that the MUI along with 33 Muslim organizations had also asked the government to keep the restive province free from foreign intervention, especially from the remnants of the South Maluku separatist movement (RMS).

Meanwhile, 729 residents of Kesui island in Central Maluku, who had been forcibly converted from Christianity to Islam, were evacuated to Tual and Ambon on Monday in an operation led by Governor Saleh Latuconsina and Central Maluku Regent Rudolf Ruka.

"With the evacuation, there are no more Christians living in Kesui, but I have asked local district chiefs to keep the belongings and property of the Christians, so that when the security situation improves, they can return to their homes," Saleh said on Monday.

The governor added that there should be no more provocative statements from local leaders and asked everyone to make their statements based on the truth.

There were a total of 764 Kesui residents, but 35 of them did not join the evacuation because five had died, 14 had escaped to Ambon, five had escaped to Tual, six were hiding in the forest and the other six had taken refuge with their Muslim relatives.

Most of the islanders had chosen to return to Christianity while some of them decided to stay as Muslim.

Regent Rudolf Ruka said the evacuation of the Christians was needed because the government had to protect the religious rights of the people as it concerned the country's image on the international stage. (49/dja)