Unrest greets ministers, rights activists in Ambon

JAKARTA (JP): Fresh violence on Tuesday greeted the arrival of six Cabinet ministers and a fact-finding team of the National Commission on Human Rights in the riot-torn city of Ambon, Maluku, where at least 61 people were killed in religious clashes last month.

The ministers were sent by President B.J. Habibie to assess the widespread damage left by more than five days of inter- communal troubles between Muslims and Christians.

Rights activist Benyamin Mangkoedilaga said the latest disturbance took place at the Mardika market and was sparked by an argument between two people. Security personnel fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, injuring five, according to Antara.

"We were visiting Mardika when the violence began and then security forces fired warning shots to disperse the crowd," said Benyamin, who was there with fellow rights body member Albert Hasibuan.

Benyamin, who was about to leave the city when contacted by The Jakarta Post, said the team was visiting a site in Mardika when a crowd of machete- and spear-wielding people threatened them.

Security personnel quickly intervened and whisked the team to the safety of the Maluku police headquarters, he said.

Separately, however, Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto was quoted by Antara as denying that fresh rioting erupted in Ambon.

"It is not true... I just made a phone call to Ambon and reporters said there was no unrest (there)," Wiranto said following a meeting with Habibie at the Merdeka palace here Tuesday. He added that what broke out at the Mardika market was a brawl stemming from a criminal act. "It was a fight among passengers (of public transport)," he said.

The first outbreak of violence last month took place in Mardika.

The news agency reported that shops and businesses immediately closed and public transport disappeared from the streets after Tuesday's trouble started at around 11 a.m.

It also said those still on the streets scrambled to find shelter while schoolchildren were rushed to local police stations.

Security personnel were immediately deployed at a number of locations as two helicopters hovered over the city.

Antara said calm was restored and Ambon's streets secured in the afternoon but troops were still on alert in the riot-prone areas of Taman Makmur, Batu Merah and the Mardika market.

Military trucks were seen transporting residents from their shelters in military complexes, churches and mosques back to their homes.

Meanwhile, the six ministers went straight to the office of Governor Saleh Latuconsina and met the local administration and military commander before flying back to Jakarta.

The Cabinet members were Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono, Forestry Minister Muslimin Nasution, Public Works Minister Rachmadi Bambang Sumadhijo, Health Minister F.A. Moeloek, Religious Affairs Minister Malik Fajar and Social Services Minister Yustika S. Baharsyah.

Habibie on Monday instructed the ministers to visit Ambon to assess the damage and to start organizing assistance to rebuild the city that he once held up as a model of religious harmony.

Meanwhile, Habibie told visiting church representatives here on Tuesday the government would do its utmost to find those responsible for the string of recent attacks on religious groups and their properties.

David Gill, who was leading a delegation from the World Council of Churches, said Habibie assured him that "everything possible will be done to find those who are responsible."

The delegation included church representatives from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia and the Netherlands.

The government also strongly condemned attacks on mosques and churches as well as on specific ethnic groups, said Gill, the secretary general of the National Council of Churches of Australia.

Ambon was hit by at least five days of unrest that started on Jan. 19 following a dispute between a migrant Muslim and a Christian public transport driver. It spread to other islands in the province, leaving at least 61 dead and 50 others injured.

The violence also caused damages to more than 700 houses, 13 houses of worship, 3 traditional markets, 82 kiosks, 2 banks, 1 government office, 1 hotel, 1 movie theater, 20 cars, 11 motorcycles, and 216 pedicabs.

The riots had also forced more than 20,000 people to seek refuge in military camps, mosques, churches, and other public facilities. (byg/prb/rms/27)