Military kills five in night of violence

AMBON, Maluku (JP): At least five residents were shot and killed by security personnel and 25 were injured in riots involving at least 1,000 people here on Thursday.

A member of the police force also sustained injuries from a home made bomb, according to the marine post at the site of the riot in Talake area.

The Muslim Al Fatah post said five were killed and 25 were injured. However at least 10 limp figures were flung on to a truck following the shooting at 7 a.m., a witness told The Jakarta Post.

Commander of the marine unit here, Lt.Col. Ivan A.R.T., said his men were forced to shoot "because crowds had failed to heed warning shots."

The crowd, he said, had crossed the white line set up earlier this year to delineate Christian and Muslim areas in a bid to prevent more violence.

At least 450 have died in violence here since January and thousands have fled their homes.

The riot started after midnight when some 1,000 people in white headbands and white clothing, signifying they were Muslims, came from the Waihong area and approached a neighboring police dormitory believed to be inhabited by Christian police members.

They had reportedly met calls for a holy war (jihad).

Security personnel managed to prevent further violence after one house was set on fire.

At 4 a.m. the crowd came again towards the Maluku Christian University (UKIM) but were again stopped. They came again at 6:30 a.m. as residents were still on guard when security personnel opened fire again.

Later in the day the crowd intended to go to the Governor's office but were stopped.

A crowd of people said to be Christians faced them and leaders of both religious groups managed to coax the crowds to leave the site. All day residents stayed at home and public transport was nowhere to be seen.

Boat

A chronology of the Thursday events sent to the Post from the Communion of Churches (PGI) in Indonesia reported that around 11 a.m., "just behind the UKIM campus, a speed boat suddenly approached the shore and a passenger in civilian clothing fired shots in the direction of the land."

No one was hurt but people were "surprised as to how a civilian could easily get fire arms similar to those used by the military," the press release said.

Separately Antara reported from Surabaya that several Muslims and Christians from Maluku expressed concern of continuing violence in the province despite repeated peace pacts and hundreds of suspected provocateurs arrested.

The religious leaders residing in Surabaya said security personnel were always late in handling unrest in the province.

"Scores of innocent people continue to be killed ... Community leaders have signed peace pacts five times but things are the same. So pak Wiranto should take firm action and replace the military commander and police chief," Alim Tualeka, a community leader said in reference to the Indonesian Military commander.

In a measure to step up security the Pattimura military command was set up earlier this year.

The gathering among others was attended by the East Java chapter of an organization of Muslim and Christian leaders from Maluku, the Brotherhood Maluku Association.

It was sponsored by the Sunan Ampel Institute of Information and Laboratory of Islam. (48/anr)