More victims reported in Ambon violence
AMBON, Maluku (JP): One man died and two were rushed to Haulusi General Hospital in Ambon on Friday after being shot, a hospital staff member said.
The employee told The Jakarta Post that Kalfin Rahangkelan, 38, died of a gunshot wound to the head while Rikard Ayal, 22, and Nik Udra, 25, were both injured after being shot in the chest.
Witnesses said members of the local military command shot the men. Police and military authorities could not be reached for comment. The incident took place about 4 p.m. in the Poka area where dozens of homes were set on fire on Thursday.
On Friday fires were still seen in Poka and Laha areas in the Maluku capital.
Antara news agency reported on Thursday full-scale riots in the West Seram town of Piru some 70 kilometers north of Ambon, Maluku's capital. Casualties were not reported.
From Ternate, the news agency reported violence in Halmahera island, north Maluku. The clash between residents of two north Maluku villages led to three people being killed, five injured and 201 homes set on fire. The fighting was between the Sosol village of Kao district and the Tahane village in Makian Maliful district in Halmahera island. The victims of the Sosol village were not identified.
The injured men were Munir, Ajar, M. Tahir, Halil Jaka and Alimun, a police chief said.
The fighting in the area near the Kao Bay erupted around 5:30 a.m. Thursday. The situation was now under control as more security personnel were deployed to the area, North Maluku police chief Lt. Col. Didik Prijandono was quoted as saying.
"It was a purely criminal incident with no signs of religious or ethnic conflict," Didik said.
However Antara reported the dispute was over plans to integrate a number of villages with growing populations into the Makian Malifut district.
In Kao, 105 homes and three worship places were set on fire while in Makian Malifut, attackers set on fire 96 homes.
On Thursday dozens of villagers had escaped to forests, the news agency reported, for fear of reprisals.
Police confiscated sharpened bamboo poles, machetes, arrows and other sharp weapons.
Airport
Minister of Communications Giri S. Hadihardjono has requested a guarantee for security to resume activities at the Pattimura Airport in Ambon, Antara reported Friday.
In a letter dated Aug. 16 he asked the Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto to help provide safety at the Ambon airport in Maluku.
The minister stressed the need for a guarantee of safety for traffic and personnel at the Pattimura airport.
"Operations at the airport have virtually collapsed," the report said, quoting the letter.
"Employees cannot work and without a guarantee of safety all employees might leave their work place."
Since Aug. 17, commercial flights have been suspended due to poor security conditions around the airport, where homes have been set on fire.
The minister also referred to conditions at the Yos Sudarso port where activities have had to be moved to the navy port in Halong.
The head of the office of the ministry of industry and trade here, Wim Therik, said while food supply in the province was still sufficient, he feared residents would rush to buy up remaining stocks. Provisions from outside Maluku could not reach the province.
The hike in prices continues as one egg has doubled to Rp 1,650 from the previous price of Rp 800.
From Jakarta, activists demanded that President B.J. Habibie and Gen. Wiranto act to stop the violence.
"Problems in Ambon are too great to be handled by a Governor and military commander," the statement from six organizations, including the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development said.
Unrest was also reported from Cilacap in Central Java. Around 400 youths from two villages in Jeruk Legi district clashed on Friday. Several were rushed to hospital following the incident involving iron bars and swords.
A witness told the Post that revenge was the reason for the clash following a dispute on Sunday in which 10 youths from Tritih village were injured by machetes. The motive for the initial incident was unclear. A witness said Tritih youth demanded Rp 5 million to pay for medical costs.
But youth from the other village Kauripan Kidul said the sum was too high.
Police chief Lt. Col. Andi Lolo tried to encourage the youth to make peace but until Friday afternoon an agreement had not been reached. (48/anr/45)