VP renews peace campaign in Ambon

VP renews peace campaign in Ambon

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
visited Ambon on Tuesday to renew her efforts to restore peace in
the town which has been wrecked by sectarian conflicts since
January 1999.

As if responding to her initiative, some 3,000 people from the
Muslim and Christian communities gathered at the Halong Naval
Base soccer field, about four kilometers east of Ambon, to hear
Megawati make her appeal.

Thousands of others lined the streets from the airport to the
naval base to give her a warm welcome.

"The government has a strong will to rebuild Maluku. But to
forge peace and order here, the spirit of peace must come from
within the people of Maluku," Megawati said at the naval base.

"I'd rather see the Maluku people sing in harmony rather than
swing machetes and kill each other," she said.

Megawati had earlier visited the Silo Church and An'nur Mosque
which were destroyed during the communal riots. She donated Rp 50
million to each to finance their renovation.

In his welcoming speech, Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina
appealed to people in Jakarta and Java to refrain from making
provocative statements that could undermine the peace efforts
currently underway in Maluku.

"The assistance that is being pioneered by Ibu Mega can
hopefully strengthen coordination with related institutions and
stop the activities of certain groups in Java and Jakarta which
want to disrupt the rehabilitation and reconciliation process in
Maluku," Latuconsina said.

"I thank her and all the people here who are supporting the
peace and rehabilitation process," he said.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in sectarian clashes
that began in Ambon in January 1999 and later spread to the
neighboring province of North Maluku. Clashes have subsided in
recent months but tension remains in many regions.

Megawati brought a strong entourage from Jakarta, including
Indonesian Military chief Adm. Widodo A.S., National Police chief
Lt. Gen. Roesdihardjo, Minister of Home Affairs Surjadi
Soedirdja, chief of State Intelligence Board Arie J. Kumaat,
Minister of Religious Affairs Tolchah Hasan, Minister of
Communications Agum Gumelar, State Minister of Human Rights
Affairs Hasballah M. Saad and Minister of Settlement and Regional
Development Erna Witoelar.

Megawati earlier 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.

The Vice President spent the night on the KRI Arun battleship.
On Wednesday, she will visit the Masohi district on Seram island,
and Galela and Tobelo districts on Halmahera island before
heading back to Jakarta from the Morotai Air Base.

Meanwhile, six people of Halmahera island seeking refuge in
the North Maluku capital of Ternate were killed as one of three
bombs they were assembling exploded on Tuesday afternoon.

Antara reported that two other refugees were injured in the
incident that took place in the house of a local military member.

The motive of the bomb assembling remain unknowned, but both
the local military authorities and Indonesian Council of Ulemas
called on residents not to keep weaponry at home any longer.
(48/49/edt)