Ambon, Maluku

Tragedy of Riots in Ambon

It was known as a spice island, that was what Ambon before January 19, 1999. Ambon and the surrounding islands were hit by a devastating civil war on January 19, 1999. Even though Ambon has been known as a Christian-pocket region in Indonesia, the Muslims in Ambon had been living in peace and harmony with the Christians. This peace and harmony of life were ended in an irreparable damaged on January 19, 1999. The Ambonese refused to call the incident a riot, rather they insisted on calling it as a civil war.

The war was started by a silly incident. It was a local domestic small incident, a fight or quarrel between a taxi driver and a Muslim Ambonese.

Sources indicated very strongly that the incident was used by provocateurs to start a massive destruction all over Ambon and even to the surrounding islands. This kind of pattern seems to be repeating from cases to cases, where a small local incident becomes a big and uncontrollable incident, that collapses the whole community. We could see the pattern in Ketapang, Kupang, Poso cases (the Poso case was not covered by Media, and yet the around Christmas of 1998 incidents in Central Sulawesi that hit towns of Poso, Palu and Palopo were very devastating as well). Sources even suggested very strongly that the provocateurs had been mobilized by Soeharto and his gang.

The Ambon case is very devastating, the first list of casualties is attached on exhibit 1. Since then people live in fear and terror in Ambon, and small incidents took place here and there. Not until February 14, 1999, when another serious incident took place. Christians in Kariu of the island of Haruku were attacked by people from Pelauw, Kailolo and Ori. People from those three places are mainly Muslims. According to eyewitnesses and the investigation of the fact finding team of the Salawaku Team, the 14 February incident was even worse, for the following reasons:

1. Right before the attack, the post commando for the security force, which was to maintain peace, at the border of Pelauw and Kariu was relocated to some other place.

2. The Commando of the military post Yon 733, Mr. Safar Latuamuri, who is also from Pelauw took with him some other officers and the people from those villages and attacked the people in Kariu.

3. Houses, and even a church which was already under the protection of the peace keeping military force were allowed to be burnt to the ground.

4. The peace keeping military officers were also involved in the brutal shooting of the people from Hulaliu, who came over in rush to help the injured in Kariu.

On February 21 and 22, 1999, Monday and Tuesday, in the island of Saparua, the people from Siri Sori Islam and the people from Siri Sori Serani (Chrisian) broke into a fight; so did the people from Iha (Muslim) and Nolloth (Christian). There were 3 death in Nolloth and 1 person whose arm had to be amputated from the shot by an officer.

Meanwhile, On Tuesday, February 22, 1999, in the city of Ambon, riot broke up again. Bomb was set at Batu Merah Dalam. Houses belongs to Christians were set on fire. The security officer did not do anything when people started to attack the Christians. So far there were 6 people shot to death by the security officers, and three of them were shot by the security officers while they were inside the gate of the Bethabara Church in Batu Merah Dalam. Christians in Batu Merah Dalam have to escape for refuge.

Despite of the headlines in the media - Christians slaughter Muslim in Ambon - the opposite seems to be true. However, the more sickening and concerning issue has been the behavior of the military officer. They were not only not doing anything, they would actually be the ones who involved in the attack and the shooting. This kind of behavior and performance by the military is not only unacceptable, but also has once again proven the loss of control and authority in the military unit as a whole, even from the top commando of Gen. Wiranto.

According to eyewitnesses, one of the officer who was involved in the shooting in Batu Merah Dalam was a police officer Mr. Cahyana.

Persecutions against Christians, which were done in a very subtle way during the Soeharto era, have turned into more blatant and vicious ways during the Habibie era, the Indonesian government in transition. According to the report of the ICCF (Indonesian Christian Communication Forum) there were 455 churches attacked and burned during the Soeharto era, and there have been minimum of 95 churches attacked and burned during the Habibie era, which is only less than a year. The force of fundamentalism which has been riding its way behind Habibie, starting from the formation of ICMI (The Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals) in the early 1990s, has been showing its vicious teeth since the May-Riot of 1998. Despite of the clear pattern of similarities among the incidents, even since the June9, 1996 Surabaya case, and then followed by the October 10, 1996 Situbondo case, the government and the military have not been able to bring a total and absolute justice to the citizens of Indonesia, by identifying and prosecuting the masterminds behind all of these incidents. The lack of will and capability from the government and the military has resulted in the weakening of their authority domestically and internationally, which should be expected when a government is not serving the people whom they are supposed to serve.

Exhibit 1.

The list of casualties from the Ambon case, January 15-28, 1999.

1. The Nehemiah Church, Bethaba Congregation (Maluku Protestant Church) in Batu Merah Village was plundered, destroyed. The interior of the church was burned (60% destroyed).

2. The Source of Love Church , Silo Congregation (Maluku Protestant Church) in Silale-Waihaong Village was burned to the ground (100% destroyed).

3. The Bethlehem Church on Anthony Rhibok Street was stoned. (20% destroyed).

4. The Tua Hila Church in Hila Christian Village (the oldest church in Ambon) was burned (100% destroyed).

5. The Petra Protestant Church, Petra Congregation (Maluku Protestant Church) in Benteng Karang Ambon Village was burned (100% destroyed).

6. The Logos Catholic Church in Benteng Karang Village was burned (100% destroyed).

7. The Assembly of God Church in Benteng Karang Village was burned (100% destroyed).

8. The Maranatha Chruch in Negri Lama Village was burned (100% destroyed).

9. The Hanwele Church at Nania Village was burned (100% destroyed).

10. The Maluku Protestant Church (GPM) in Paporu-Piru Village, West Seram was burned (100% destroyed).

11. A Catholic Church in Paporu-Piru Village, West Seram was burned (100% destroyed).

12. The Assembly of God Church (GSJA) in Paporu-Piru Village, West Seram was burned (100% destroyed).

13. The Protestant Church, Sanana Congregation (GPM) in Sanana Village was burned (100% destroyed).

14. The Catholic Church, Sanana Congregation (GPM) in Sanana Village was burned (100% destroyed).

15. The Indonesian Bethel Church, Sanana Congregation in Sanana Village was burned (100% destroyed)

The list of the parish houses and schools which were damaged and burned down by the mob during the riots in Ambon on 15 through 28 January 1999:

1. The home of a GPM's pastor at Congregation/Hila Village (burned).

2. The home of a GPM's pastor at Congregation/Benteng Karang Village (burned).

3. The home of a GPM's pastor at Congregation/Nania Village (burned).

4. The home of a GPM's pastor at Congregation/Negeri Lama Village (burned).

5. The home of a GPM's pastor at Sanana's Congregation (burned).

6. The parishes house (the home of RK's pastor) at Sanana's Congregation (burned).

7. A Catholic School at Sanana (burned).

The list of Mosques that were damaged and/or burned down by the mob during the riots in Ambon on 15 through 28 January 1999:

1. The Al Huda Mosque at Upper Diponegoro Street was burned (12% destroyed).

2. The As Sa'adah Pule Mosque at Karang Panjang Street was totally burned down.

3. The Al Ikhlas Mosque at Raya Pattimura Street inside the Pos Alley was damaged (20% destroyed).

4. The Al Ikhwan Mosque at Mardika Market was totally burned down.

5. The An-Nur Mosque at Sangaji Street was damaged by the mob (20% destroyed).

6. The At-Taqwa Mosque in the Village of Batu Gajah/Batu Bulan was burned (60% destroyed).

7. The Al Ikhlas Mosque at Jati's Complex Batu Gong was damaged (50% destroyed).

8. The Kati Complex mosque at Batu Gong was damaged (20% destroyed).

9. The Wisma Atlit Complex mosque at Karang Panjang was damaged (20% destroyed).

10. The mosque at corperation regional office was damaged (20% destroyed).

11. The Al Mukhlisin mosque at Karang Baringin-Batu Gantung damaged (40% destroyed).

12. The Al Mukharam mosque at Karang Tagepe was damaged (45% destroyed).

13. The Transmigration regional office's mosque was damaged (20% destroyed).

14. The Kopertis Ahuru Complex mosque at Ahuru village was damaged (20% destroyed).

15. The TVRI Complex mosque at Gunung Nona was damaged by (40% destroyed).

16. The Nurul Hijrah Nania mosque at Nania village was burned (50% destroyed).

17. The Labuhan Batu mosque at Labuhan Batu village was damaged (40% destroyed).

18. The Al Muhajirin mosque at Paso village was burned (60% destroyed).

19. The Jamiatul Islamiah mosque at Galala village was burned (50% destroyed).

20. The Wailete mosque at Hative Besar village was burned (65% destroyed).

21. The Prayer room in the complex of SMUN 7 Wailete at Hative Besar village was damaged (60% destroyed).

22. The Galala prayer room at Galala village was burned (50% destroyed).

23. The Nurul Haq prayer room at Dobo village at Maluku Tenggara was damaged (20% destroyed).

Data about the schools that were damaged and/or burned down at the disturbances in Ambon, January 15-28, 1999.

1. The Al-Hilal primary school at Anthony Ribhaok street was burned (100% destroyed).

2. The public high school of Muhammadiyah Tanah Lapang Kecil (Talake) was damaged (40% destroyed).

Conclution

It seems that the conflict becomes difficult to contained and resolved due to a deep hatred among the people and the inconsistent attitude of the Indonesian military forces.

People cannot trust the Indonesian military to resolve the Ambon conflict since they are supporting a certain religious group, eventhough the soldiers supposedly abide to their functions as security forces.

Up to now, the number of dead and wounded people have risen to 600, 90% of which are shot by the Indonesian military units.

Therefore, we plea for an international police force to take over the security responsibility in Maluku province. If necessary, the United Nations must send an independent security force to stop the civilian conflicts in Maluku as well as the violent behaviour of and human right abuses by the Indonesian military force.

We hope that all those who are concerned or symphatize with the conditions in Ambon (Maluku) may campaign this thought in order to bring back secure and peaceful conditions in Maluku.

A Piece of Poems for Humanity

There is an ill wind blowing through our realities right now,

A sense of dread, a thought unsaid, substantial emotion bursting forth

Imagined latitudes of worth, the ever present feelings of safety have fled.

The Ambon is not the same Ambon before.

We have lost a precious memory of reality

We have lost what innocence we thought we had

We have lost a world view that has been changing for two thousand years

There is confusion, thoughts of retribution, who can I turn to? God and man

We watched, we cried, we saw a great chunk of humanity perish

And now, as we begin this morning in the shaky aftermath of uncertainty

I feel we need to know there is much more to cherish

My thoughts, and yours, are with the souls of this incredible tragedy

We suffer with them, as we question our leaders, our redeemers, and our souls as well

It is with another steely resolve with which we have to meet the day

Because what we lost yesterday can never be regained

Pray from People of Christians in Ambon

Our prayers are for all of humanity.

No one, not a country, not our allies

nor our adversaries is immune to riots

My little angel here is

a symbol to all those who

lost their loved ones in

in Ambon

Lord,

make me an instrument of

your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

She is a ray of hope

for peace to prevail

Amen.

Yayasan Kasih Sesama Bangsa

BPP KLANDASAN EAST BORNEO