Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ambon (Fides Service) - Following a visit by the Indonesian president Susilo Bambanag Yudhoyono to the troubled provinces of Moluccas and Sulawesi the country’s religious, civil and political leaders have said the only way to stop violence and prevent conflict is to promote a change of heart and for every member of the community to be committed to building peace and harmony. They said cultural and religious differences were elements of pluralism to be appreciated and valued because they enrich human society and foster development.
In the Moluccas the President said he was pleased to see the present peaceful situation and hoped it would remain so. As minister of the interior Yudhoyono visited the Islands several times during the years of religious/ethnic clashes 1999-2002 and was one of the promoters of the Malino peace agreement signed in 2002 which ended the conflict. The President said now priority attention must be given to relieving the suffering of 3,850 displaced families living in precarious conditions.
The community leaders said they hoped the situation of calm and good relations would last and that scars left by the conflict would heal swiftly and completely in an atmosphere of reconciliation for the good of all.
In both the provinces of Moluccas and Sulawesi there was tension at the end of last year 2005 with a few episodes of violence by provocateurs. People feared a new outbreak of religious clashes and terrorism and security measures were tightened. Another problem in the Moluccas is persistent poverty and unemployment, a situation which is a seedbed for unrest violence.
An estimated 126,000 families in Moluccas live below the poverty line. Many who fled the Islands during the 1999-2002 have returned to find a shortage of homes and work. The government is doing its best to re-settle the returnees but the situation is critical and a cause of social unrest. In the refugee camps around the main city Ambon sanitation is almost non existent and many of the children are undernourished. In the city of Ambon itself an estimated 60,000 people live in extreme poverty. (Agenzia Fides 21/03/2006 righe: 28 parole: 287)
