National

Situation Still Tense in Ambon
28 April 2004

TEMPO Interactive, Ambon, Maluku:The rioting in Ambon, which has continued since Sunday (25/4) up to Tuesday night (27/4), has claimed 35 lives and left 229 others injured.

According to the police, 21 people were killed and 106 others were injured in the clash.


Three members of the police’s Mobile Brigade were also among the victims in the rioting.


Three members from the Mobile Brigade second regiment in Kelapa Dua, Jakarta, were shot by snipers in Waringin Talake, Nusa Niwe sub district, Ambon. Two of them, Syarifuddin (27) and Alfiandi (26), died because of the shooting.

Meanwhile, another Mobile Brigade member, Lalu S. Daeng (27), is still in critical condition and receiving treatment at Al Fatah hospital, Ambon.

A total of 200 buildings, including the office of United Nations (UN) Representatives, have been set on fire down by the rioters.

Up to 6pm Eastern Indonesian Time on Tuesday (27/4), smoke was still to be seen from burnt down residences in Wainitu, Nusa Niwe sub district, Ambon.

The situation in Ambon was getting better but business activities only lasted a half day as many offices were still closed.

Two more Mobile Brigade companies from Jakarta arrived in Ambon on Monday (26/4) at around 11.25am Eastern Indonesian Time.

Maluku Governor, Karel Albert Ralahalu, has also requested back up from the Indonesian Military (TNI).

On Monday (26/4), Ralahalu also held a meeting with local government and religious leaders at the Maluku Police headquarters (HQ), Ambon, to seek a solution to the conflict.

After the teleconference, Sabarno said that the religious leaders, security personnel and local government in Ambon had agreed to prevent the conflict from spreading.

They also stated that the riot was not a sectarian conflict.

Sabarno stated that the clash took place between the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM)/South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist group and non-RMS supporters following the FKM/RMS supporters’ plan to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the RMS at the Kudamati square, Ambon.

Sabarno also said that there was yet to be any conclusion on whether or not a third party, including the military, had provoked the conflict. (Mochtar Touwe/Martha/Eduardua/Heru CN/Faisal Assegaf-Koran Tempo)