Hative Besar village death toll rises to 19

Hative Besar village death toll rises to 19

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Residents in Hative Besar village on Ambon
island found on Wednesday 10 more bodies among the debris of
houses burned in a communal clash on Tuesday, bringing the death
toll to at least 19.

"Up to today, they have been able to evacuate 10 more bodies
from the debris of three houses," said a staff member at the
emergency post for refugees in Nehemia Protestant Church in
Sirimau district.

Seven of the bodies, he said, have been buried in a local mass
graveyard.

Riot-torn Ambon island witnessed communal clashes on Tuesday
in three villages, namely Hative Besar in Teluk Ambon Baguala
district, Galala in Sirimau district and Suli village in Salahutu
district.

Dozens of houses were razed but fatalities, including First
Sgt. M. Tarumaseli, were only recorded in Hative Besar.

According to local residents, Tuesday's clash occurred when
local residents were about to attend a church service to mark the
first day of a week of mourning declared by the All-Maluku
Protestant Churches.

"They were trapped in their houses while getting ready for the
service," he said.

Eighteen people are still being treated for injuries at
Haulussy General Hospital in Ambon.

Dozens of local residents were left homeless and were forced
to leave their village to take refuge in Gudang Arang and Tapal
Kuda areas in Nusaniwe district.

The emergency post for refugees in Nehemia Protestant Church,
in Nusaniwe district, received some 500 refugees, mostly women
and children.

The church has arranged accommodation for some of the refugees
at local residents' houses and at public buildings.

Separately, Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made
Yasa has ordered two armored tanks and a company of soldiers and
a police Mobile Brigade company to stand guard in the village.

The security personnel were ordered to conduct a sweeping
operation to prevent riots breaking out and spreading to other
areas and to facilitate evacuation efforts for victims.

He denied the accusation that the military failed to take
quick action to curb the rioting, saying that the delay was due
to a blockade set up by rioters and that the area was difficult
to defend because the attackers came from the hills.

Tension continued to escalate in Ambon, with attackers
launching fresh attacks in Galala village and in Suli village on
Tuesday night.

In a related development, a series of bombings occurred on
Tuesday night in Karang Panjang, Trikora and Mardika areas, and
in Sirimau district on Tuesday evening.

Asylum

Separately in Jakarta, six young men from Maluku jumped over
the fence into the compound of the Swiss Embassy to reportedly
seek political asylum on Wednesday.

Embassy counselor Werner Wiedmer confirmed the incident, but
dismissed reports that the men were demanding political asylum.

Wiedmer refused to comment further, saying that the embassy
had no official statement on the matter.

"There will be a meeting, scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) to
further discuss the matter," Wiedmer said.

The six, calling themselves the Mahamuda Siwalima, are urging
the Indonesian government to deal with the masterminds behind the
Maluku conflict, which they claim is politically motivated.

"This (action) is so that the problem of Ambon can be
seriously regarded by the international community," one of them
said, while 14 other Maluku people shouted their support from
outside the embassy compound.

The group pledged to remain there until a settlement was
reached. (lup/50)