Suspected rioters in Ambon arrested, 14 sent to jail

Suspected rioters in Ambon arrested, 14 sent to jail

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The police have arrested 13 suspected perpetrators of riots
and violence in Maluku, as the Ambon District Court sentenced on
Monday 14 men to serve between two years and five years in jail
for raising four separatist flags.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on Monday
that the suspects were arrested for their roles in bomb attacks
and killings in several villages across Ambon and other parts of
Maluku.

"Based on the arrests of these 13 people, the police concluded
that violence in Ambon was not merely fueled by religious and
ethnic conflicts, but also incited by a terror group," said
Saleh.

Those arrested were Yunus Tanalepy, Henky Tatipikalawan,
Morgan Manuhutu, Amstrong, Yunus Luhulima, Semol Polhapessy, Boy
Laturete, Jenny Rival, Jemy Rival, Conny Sahertian, Lukas
Tomasoa, Rait and Abraham.

Saleh said the Maluku Police were still hunting for four other
people who were believed to be the masterminds behind various
acts of violence in Ambon.

They are Berthy Lopatty, Hans Nanlohy, Martin Tomasoa and
Andrey Polhapesy.

Saleh said that most of the suspects were responsible for bomb
attacks in Porto village, a predawn attack on Soya village,
attacks at Pasar Ikan village, Merdika Square and a vessel called
the California.

"Amstrong helped these people get the explosives. Amstrong
also served as the brains behind arranging the attacks, while
Abraham was the one who built the bombs," said Saleh.

He said that the motive behind a string of bomb attacks and
killings across Ambon was the illegal trade of explosives,
firearms and ammunition.

"Their actions have posed a protracted threat to security in
the country," said Saleh, adding that should conflicts persist
between warring parties, they would continue to sell explosives,
firearms and ammunition.

Saleh also said that there had been indications that some
dismissed military personnel had also taken part in the case,
while the role of the separatist group was still under further
investigation.

Meanwhile, the 14 men sentenced to jail by the Ambon District
Court were members of the separatist Maluku Sovereignty Front.

They were convicted of raising four separatist flags on April
25, the anniversary of the proclamation of the South Maluku
Republic (RMS) in 1950, a movement which was quickly quashed by
the government of then president Sukarno. Most of the activists
and leaders of the group fled to the Netherlands.

"Their actions to separate from the unitary state of the
Republic of Indonesia has caused concern among society and helped
fuel the conflict in the Malukus," Judge Riyono said.
All defendants said they would appeal.

Maluku has been ravaged by three years of sectarian violence
since January 1999. More than 5,000 people have been killed.

Intermittent violence has continued since both sides signed a
government-backed peace pact in February.

Some Muslims said the mainly Christian separatist movement
helped fuel the sectarian violence, while Christians blamed the
Laskar Jihad Muslim militia.

Alex Manuputty and Samuel Waileruni, the leader and senior
official of the Maluku Sovereignty Front, are on trial in
Jakarta.

The two are accused of subversion for allegedly setting up an
illegal organization and raising the banned separatist flag. They
face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.