Six killed in Ambon violence
AMBON, Maluku (JP): At least six people were killed and 50 others injured on Sunday when security personnel opened fire to disperse warring groups at the border between Batu Merah and Mardika districts.
Witnesses said the clash, which began at around 3 p.m. local time, also resulted in at least four houses in the predominantly Christian Mardika district being set alight. They said the conflicting groups used homemade weapons and bombs.
The wounded, mostly suffering from gunshot wounds, were taken to Dr. Haulussy General Hospital, Protestant Maluku Church (GPM) Hospital and Al Fatah Hospital.
Many were injured by stray bullets from security officers.
The fatalities were identified as Steven Ruhulessin, 40, Ibrahim bin Umar, 60, Wawan, 18, Effendi Kiat, 35, Muhamad Saleh, 23 and Ahmad Alu, 50. The six were reportedly shot by troops in an attempt to scatter the crowds.
Four officers were also injured in the fray, three of them military members and one a police officer from the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit.
It was the second clash within less than a week to rock the provincial capital. At least three people were killed when mobs threw homemade bombs at a speedboat off Benteng Gudang Arang on Friday.
Tension gripped the town following the shootings, but Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela said as of 8 p.m local time the situation in the area was under control.
In a bid to quickly restore order, the usual 10 p.m curfew was put forward by an hour.
"The 9.00 pm curfew will remain until further developments. I have issued a shoot-on-sight order to anyone who instigates riots," Tamaela said on Sunday night.
"It is very obvious that certain parties don't want peace to return in Ambon. I urge people to stay calm," he said.
When asked whether the incident was related to the recent campaign by Muslim hardliners for a jihad in the province, Tamaela simply said: "Leave that matter to us (the security forces). We have all been suffering for quite sometime and I personally will not let this reconciliation effort break into pieces."
The violence took place in the same area where 15 months of sectarian conflict across the Maluku islands started in January last year.
More than 2,000 people were killed in the prolonged violence, which also left thousands of homes and buildings destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people fleeing to safety in other islands and provinces.
Clashes have subsided in recent months but tension remains in some regions, particularly North Maluku.
It is reported that the Sunday fray was sparked by a bomb blast near Victoria theater in the predominantly Muslim Batu Merah area earlier in the day. Angry residents later attacked the neighboring Mardika area to seek revenge.
Sammy Waileruni, a local lawyer, speculated that the security forces let the mob trespass between 200 meters and 400 meters into the territory of the rival camp.
"They should have passed three security posts watched over by the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) of the 303 Battalion. How come they got so far?" Sammy said.
The violence took place just a few days after Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's third visit to Maluku, which included a trip to Ambon and several other islands in the area to promote reconciliation and peace.
During her visit, Megawati also launched the Navy's Surya Bhaskara Jaya operation to help rebuild towns and villages destroyed during the unrest. The Rp 6.5 billion project, involving 11 Navy ships, is said to be the biggest of its kind ever launched by the Navy. (48/49/edt)