Sun, 14 Mar 1999

Lull in Ambon violence fails to halt unease

JAKARTA (JP): Calm remained in devastated Ambon on Saturday but fears were kindled by rumored abductions and the discovery of a body in the Maluku capital, witnesses and hospital staff said.

"The city is calm and busier than a few days ago, but an unidentified male body was found in the Galunggung area at about 11 a.m," Devi, a staff member at Maranatha Church, told The Jakarta Post by phone.

He said he personally saw the corpse and that personnel from the military hospital collected it later in the afternoon.

"The body has a gash in the neck and a slash wound in the hip," Devi said. "The body was found without any identity card."

First Pvt. Sukardi from the military hospital confirmed the death and told the Post the corpse was in the hospital's morgue.

"We took the body at around 2 p.m. and he has a long open wound behind his neck."

A local journalist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, also described the city as calm, with a heavy security presence.

"Fully armed troops are in the streets and more public transportation is operating now," he said.

Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. Wiranto has sent about 2,000 reinforcements to the province to quell weeks of clashes between Muslims and Christians which have killed more than 182 people.

The journalist said rumors of abductions were fueling unease.

"We live in a horrifying situation now because of the rumors. Muslims are afraid to go to the Christian parts (of the city), and likewise for the Christians."

He said one more man died in the military hospital on Saturday after a week of intensive treatment for a stab wound.

"Sumardi Flores was stabbed in the stomach through his left rib in Galala last Sunday," he said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Riswadi, the head of the Maluku Police command post, told the Post that National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi made an hour-long visit to Ambon on Saturday.

"He was here to boost the morale of the local police personnel and he told them to fully support the riot control operation under the command of the military."

He added that Roesmanhadi also met with Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina and local military commander Col. Karel Ralahalu.

Riot control was handed over to the military on Thursday following outbreaks of sectarian violence in downtown Ambon on Wednesday which killed at least nine people.

Local officials said earlier the transfer of control was instructed by Wiranto and made at the request of the governor.

Meanwhile, Antara quoted spokesman for the local office of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Arif Mandu as saying on Saturday the 27,295 metric tons of rice in Ambon were sufficient stock for only three months.

The World Food Program (WFP) warned in a report released earlier this week that food shortages in Ambon were worsening.

The report said the entire supply chain was disrupted and that food imports dropped 75 percent because ships were afraid to dock. Traders have also stopped storing food "in stores that could be burned at any moment".

The WFP said its survey of Ambon and surrounding areas was conducted from March 1 to March 5. It counted 33,000 displaced people, with 18,554 in Ambon alone.

In addition to 3,500 houses destroyed, the biggest city market and 700 shops have been burned or razed during communal clashes that erupted in mid-January.

Meanwhile, women's rights activist Karlina Leksono said here on Saturday several Jakarta-based non-governmental organizations would send a team of relief workers to Ambon next week.

Unrest developed from a dispute between a Muslim migrant and a local Christian driver of a public minibus on Jan. 19.

It quickly degenerated into full-scale riots involving members of both communities. (byg/edt)