One dead as fresh violence erupts in C. Maluku

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Fresh violence erupted in Hatualang village in Pirus district, West Seram island in Central Maluku on Wednesday, resulting in the death of a soldier.

"Around 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday, some 500 armed raiders attacked the village forcing 1,000 people to flee and hide in the jungle," a senior operations officer with the Pattimura Military Command, who asked not to be named, said on Wednesday.

Sgt. Yusman was shot in the back and killed in the incident. His body has been taken to the town of Masohi in Central Maluku.

The attack began when raiders sprayed bullets at the beachside village. "Yusman was shot as he tried to lead the residents to safety," the officer said.

Meanwhile in Ambon, Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa revealed on Wednesday that he has sent a letter to the Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Firman Gani "asking the police chief to control his personnel in the field".

"I do not want any friction between the military and police. We have to unite in handling this conflict," Yasa said.

Yasa made the remark after a gunfight broke out between Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel and personnel belonging to a Combined Security Forces (Yongab) unit -- consisting of the Navy's marines, the Air Force's special forces and the Army's special forces -- in the Air Besar area of Passo on Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred after the soldiers of the Combined Security Forces unit captured several officers who were allegedly shooting at them from the Wijaya Hotel as soldiers were trying to ward off an advancing mob.

"The Army Chief has contacted me about it and I have explained everything to him as it is," Yasa said after a consolidation meeting at the Pattimura Military headquarters in the Batu Gajah area.

A total of 14 police and military personnel, among them five middle-ranking officers, were apprehended as a result.

Separately, Amboina Diocese's Bishop Mgr. Peter Kanisius Mandagi told journalists on Wednesday that he has been invited by the U.S. Congress early in February to explain the tragedy in Maluku.

"I'm not there to represent Catholics but as a humanitarian activist who will reveal the facts to the public.

In Jakarta, Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters will send a team to Ambon on Thursday to investigate the Wijaya Hotel incident, TNI spokesman Rear Marshall Graito Usodo said on Wednesday.

Separately, National Police chief Gen. Suroyo Bimantoro said on Wednesday that the two police officers apprehended at the Wijaya Hotel are being flown to Jakarta for questioning.

"I ordered the Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Firman Gani to bring them back to Jakarta... these two officers are prime suspects in the recent Maluku riots." (49/02/edt/ylt)