EAST
TIMOR
AMBON
17:58:34 Rioting/ looting Interview |
My
house was burnt at 5 o’clock in the morning.
I never had in my heart or mind or head that the Muslim people would be attacked by the Christians. I never imagined that. Honestly. All Muslim, never thinks about that. |
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17:59:21 Interview |
But
that is the big question about it was, why it happened. We do nothing for Christian people. |
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17:5924 Pan
of Bay |
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Ambon,
capital of the fabled Spice Islands that once provided the world with high prized
nutmeg and clove. A place of
tranquillity and tolerance between the majority Christian and Muslim. |
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17:5939 Bay |
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But
the peaceful past has been shattered |
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The
road of Ambon to airport is littered with the scars of religious violence. |
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It is
dangerous to travel without armed guards |
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17:59:54 |
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In
the last 2 months an estimated 3000 houses torched. 200 people have died and there are real fears that fighting could
flair up at any time. |
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For a
generation President Surhato kept tight control over religiously diverse
Indonesia. |
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18:00:11 |
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The
power vacuum in his absence could be the reason places like Ambon are falling
apart. |
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The
question is whether what happening here signals a deadly breakdown between
religions |
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18:0025 |
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The
village of Ben Ten Attas is the latest flashpoint. We arrived to find the smouldering houses
of Muslims |
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Revenge
according to Christians is from Muslim bomb attacks. |
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They
are evil. They want to start an Islamic state. They want to change the
province into an Islamic country. |
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18:00:57: |
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These
Christians have assembled a crude but deadly arsenal of weapons |
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Across
a no man's land of burnt out houses are their rivals the Muslims. |
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The
Muslims are suspicious of all outsiders.
We are told we can't enter their stronghold. |
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18:01:17 |
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For
generations followers of the 2 faiths have lived side by side. Now neighbours have become sworn enemies. |
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Looting |
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Without
notice the rampage begins again. |
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There
are innocent victims on both sides |
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Kitchy
Palapasey is a Christian living with her 5 children on the Muslim side of the
village. She knows it's
time to get out before her house becomes a target for revenge. |
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18:02:05 Interview |
I
would prefer to leave rather than die. I have nothing here. I had a small business but it stopped because of the rioting. |
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These
are Muslim refugees who have already fled to Ambon's grand mosque. There are almost 3500 people living
here. Many originally come from the
island of Sulawesi, settling on Ambon as transmigrants during the 1980's. |
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18:02: |
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They
were promised a place of harmony not a place of hate and revenge. |
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All
these people are homeless,their
houses are being burned. We are here without jobs, without money, and there
are many children to take care of. It’s difficult. |
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There
is desperation at the Ambon docks as thousands try to flee. The simple solution for these people is to
return to Soloacy. Their meagre
possessions are dragged up the side.
The last reminders of their ordeal. |
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Interview |
I can
forgive but never forget. Maybe for
three or four generations. |
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Interview |
I
hope that we can resolve it and we can live in reconciliation and we can live
together in harmony again. I hope that. |
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18:03:36 |
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The
arrival of three thousand fresh troops has had little effect in stopping the
violence. In Ambon city, Marines
patrol the worst affected neighbours, those where revenge attacks have taken
place and where violence is ready to boil over again. |
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17:03:59 Presenter |
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This
church behind me is full of refugees.
People who fled the violence.
This is the no man's land, which separates them from their muslim
neighbours. The devastation here is
almost complete. |
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17:04:11 |
Singing |
Those
who have fled to the downtown Silo church have had their lives turned upside
down. On 2 consecutive nights the
church was bombed as fighting raged on the street outside. As the death toll rises, Ambonese society
is becoming increasingly divided. |
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The
majority Christian community has been accused of ethnic cleansing of
declaring a holy war. |
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17:04:40 |
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Unless
the government and its troops can halt the violence there are fears that a
nation in social and political turmoil could simply blow apart. |
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The
message is loud and clear to President Habibe as he heads towards crucial
general elections in 3 months time. |
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Perhaps
only Ambon's religious leaders can call a halt to the carnage. |
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Mark
Bolling: |
In
the village of [Benteng Atas],
Christian youths are on a rampage. This is revenge they say, for a Muslim
bomb attack. For generations, followers of the two faiths have lived side by
side. Now neighbours have become sworn enemies. |
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These
were Muslim houses. The Christians admit setting them alight, but only after
they were driven from their own dwellings. |
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Speaker
2: |
[Foreign
Language] |
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Speaker
3: |
They
burnt our houses and threw bombs so what can we do? |
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Mark
Bolling: |
On
the Island of [Ambon], almost two months of fighting has claimed 200 lives.
Despite the arrival of 3,000 troops, the battle continues, the burning of
churches and mosques only adding to the outrage. |
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As
the anger and desire for revenge grows, men from both sides have assembled a
crude but deadly arsenal of weapons from whatever they can find. This old man
is the last line of defence in the village church in Benteng
Atas. On a nearby hill, a mosque has become a
Muslim fortress. |
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This
is the religious battle line. The Christians on this side are armed and
ready. But they know if they cross this point, in their own village, they
could be shot or speared by the Muslims. |
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Speaker
4: |
[Foreign
Language] |
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Mark
Bolling: |
It's
impossible to visit the Muslim stronghold. There's suspicion of outsiders.
People are still recovering from the shock of this latest attack. |
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At
Ambon's grand mosque, there are more than 3,000 refugees from burnt out
villages. Their spiritual leader is calling for calm and praying for peace. |
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Speaker
5: |
I
never have in my mind or in my heart or in my head, that the Muslim people
will be attacked by the Christian. I never imagined that before. |
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Mark
Bolling: |
Christian
leaders are looking for reconciliation. |
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Speaker
6: |
We
must try. We must try and try to forgive our let us say, brother, sister,
Muslim sister, Muslim brothers. |
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Mark
Bolling: |
There's
desperation at the dock. Thousands are fleeing Ambon. These mainly Muslim
immigrants from the Island of [Suluwesi] tried to
make Ambon their home. Now, as their meagre possessions are dragged up the
side, they make their escape. |
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Mark
Bolling, ABC News, Ambon. |
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