JAKARTA (CNN) -- Hundreds of hoodlums from Indonesia's capital arrived on the eastern island of Ambon last month and masterminded bloody riots that killed at least 65 people, a newspaper reported on Monday.

The Media Indonesia daily quoted a report by Muslim groups in Ambon as saying that at least 862 hoodlums arrived in Ambon in two ships days before the violence between Muslims and Christians, which began on January 19.

The chairman of the Al-Fatah group, Abdullah Solissa, was quoted as saying the hoodlums had arrived ready to instigate riots.

Media Indonesia said 47 people had been arrested by local police in connection with the riots that started on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr celebration and continued for several days.

The Ambon violence was the worst since savage riots hit Jakarta last May, killing almost 1,200 people.

Human rights groups and opposition leaders have regularly blamed instigators for the unrest in the troubled country.

Last week, opposition leaders urged the army to expose the masterminds behind recent violence. Abdurrahman Wahid, head of Indonesia's largest Muslim group, said the instigators could be members of the military or followers of former President Suharto, who was forced from power in May.

Also Monday, Indonesian President B.J. Habibie ordered the immediate rebuilding of Ambon and the fostering of tolerance to prevent a repeat of the religious violence last month.

"The president has ordered a team of ministers to rehabilitate and repair Ambon immediately," the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, Haryono Suyono, told reporters after talks with Habibie.

"The religious minister was asked to develop religious tolerance among the people," Haryono said.

"This tragedy should not be repeated," Haryono quoted Habibie as saying.

Indonesia has been hit by waves of religious, ethnic and political violence over the past year during the country's worst economic crisis in decades.

Reuters contributed to this report.