Shoot-on-sight order issued to stop Ambon violence

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Chief of Pattimura Military Command overseeing Maluku Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela issued a shoot-on-sight order on Friday to stop continued violence, which has claimed four more lives.

Following sniper attacks, an operation to confiscate weapons was jointly conducted by military and police in several tall buildings situated on, among others, Jl. A.Y. Patty, Jl. A.M. Sangaji, Jl. Sultan Khairun, Jl. Anthoni Rebhok and Jl. Pahlawan Revolusi.

The downtown streets have been the battleground for groups of Muslims and Christians since fights first broke out on Tuesday. As of Friday, the clashes have claimed at least 31 lives and injured no less than 100 people as of Friday.

"The strict measure is needed because many civilians and members of the security forces have fallen victims to snipers," Tamaela said as quoted by military spokesman Col. Iwa Budiman on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday night, Tamaela expressed regret over the renewed conflict and blamed the worsening situation on security troops' lack of firmness when dealing with rioters.

Upon his arrival from Jakarta, where he met with President Abdurrahman Wahid for talks on Ambon and emergency steps to handle the Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force), Tamaela said his top priority was to end the conflict.

"I'd rather not talk about the Laskar Jihad now. The concrete actions needed are to prevent riots from spreading and to regain control over the situation.

"There are strong indications that they (Laksar Jihad members) are involved, but I do not want to go into details because it may only heat things up. We want to cope with the violence first," he said.

Tamaela, who returned to the city by plane on Thursday, had to reach Ambon by speedboat from the airport, because of high tension in the Laha residential area on the road to Pattimura Airport.

Spokesman for the provincial administration Isaack Semima said on Friday Tamaela and provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Dewa Astika accompanied by Governor Saleh Latuconsina met with Indonesian Military Chief Adm. Widodo A.S, who made a brief stopover from Jayapura in Irian Jaya en route to Jakarta.

An estimated 2,000 members of Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah Communication Forum have streamed into Ambon since late last month.

Despite the group's claim that they would conduct humanitarian activities here, local community and religious leaders as well as Maluku residents have been unnerved by their presence.

Minister of Home Affairs Surjadi Soedirdja had asked the group to cancel their trip, warning them against undermining the peace that had been maintained for the last several months.

Violence continued in several parts of Ambon on Friday. A sniper attack claimed the live of an Army non-commissioned officer Pvt. Gempur Warsito.

Gempur was shot along with Second. Lt. Syamsir, a platoon commander from the 405 Diponegoro Infantry Battalion, when they tried to disperse mobs who were attempting to enter Ahussen subdistrict around 6 a.m. local time. Both were rushed to Dr. Latumeten Military Hospital, but Gempur died later in the day.

John Lekawael, from Ahuru, was found dead with slash wounds on Friday following a fight in the area a day earlier.

Commercial flights from Pattimura Airport were temporarily stopped on Friday following a mob attack which killed two people in a nearby area earlier in the day. (48/49/edt)