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AMBON, Maluku: The Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs has withdrawn a report on the damage that occurred during two years of communal conflict here, following a request for verification by Governor Saleh Latuconsina.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