Report on Ambon to be retracted

Report on Ambon to be retracted

AMBON, Maluku: The Office of the Coordinating Minister for
Political, Social and Security Affairs has withdrawn a report on
the damage that occurred during two years of communal conflict
here, following a request for verification by Governor Saleh
Latuconsina.

Latuconsina said on Wednesday the secretary of the
coordinating minister's office, HR Karyono, had admitted the
report contained erroneous data, which had yet to be approved by
the minister.

The report, which relies greatly on data obtained by a working
group for Maluku formed by the National Defense Council, said
that 1,382 mosques and 18 churches were burned down between June
26, 2000, and Oct. 9, 2000.

Latuconsina said the data did not match the data from the
National Police Headquarters, which says that as of December 2000
127 churches and 87 mosques had been burned down.

In its own fact-finding mission, the Maluku administration
found that 164 mosques and churches were destroyed during the
period from June 27, 2000, to June 30, 2001. (48)