Indonesian troops given OK to shoot rioters

New clashes in provincial capital Ambon

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CNN's Maria Ressa reports from Ambon, where unrest has turned violent
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March 3, 1999
Web posted at: 12:54 p.m. EST (1754 GMT)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia deployed hundreds more troops in the conflict-ridden provincial capital of Ambon on Wednesday, and armed forces commander Gen. Wiranto ordered the security forces to shoot rioters on sight.

"I have ordered them to take harsh action against anyone, regardless of ethnic and religious background," Wiranto said. "(But) shoot on sight is to shoot to disable, not shoot to kill."

About 1,400 troop reinforcements arrived in Ambon, 2,250 kilometers (1,400 miles) east of Jakarta, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wiranto said hundreds more would be sent to Ambon in the next few days. Their numbers bolstered hundreds of police and soldiers already in the area.

Clashes between Christians and Muslims first erupted in January and have left 161 people dead and another 400 wounded, according to the Information Ministry. Nearly 40 churches and mosques, as well as 3,500 houses, have been burned or vandalized. More than 30,000 people have fled their homes as rival mobs fought with swords, bows and arrows and gasoline bombs.

Violence again erupted in Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, on Wednesday after unidentified assailants stabbed a Christian refugee staying in a Protestant church. Angry Christian men then tried to stop a car believed to be owned by Muslims.

Soldiers intervened and fired in the air and blocked Muslims, some of them carrying knives, who tried to approach the Christians from a nearby mosque.

On Monday, five people were killed when Christians attacked worshippers at a mosque near Ambon.

The military denied that its officers shot four Muslims, as well as allegations that it had taken sides in the fighting. Police were accused of firing without warning on a crowd of Muslims leaving a mosque after morning prayers.

The official Antara news agency reported on Wednesday that parliament may summon Wiranto over Monday's mosque shooting.

"We are considering summoning Gen. Wiranto for a hearing with the house commission because this incident is no longer a trivial matter," Antara quoted legislator Aisyah Aminy as saying.

Wiranto said Wednesday he had ordered Ambon police chief Col. Karyono replaced.

No reason was given for the move, but Karyono had been in charge of handling security operations in clashes that killed 38 people in the past week.

About 2,000 Islamic students rallied outside the military headquarters in the capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday, accusing soldiers of supporting Christian rioters.

Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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