Military kills five in night of violence
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)