Ambon – Blasts rocked the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon yesterday and gunshots rang out as hundreds of loyalists protested against the flying of balloon-borne flags on the 52nd anniversary of a separatist group.
At least six people were injured and at least three explosions were heard across the city as the balloons, carrying the flags of the mostly Christian separatist group, South Maluku Republic (RMS), floated overhead, residents said.
Around 1,000 Muslims took to the streets to protest against the flags. Police fired warning shots to keep them away from a Christian area of the coastal city.
The Silo Protestant church, which is being rebuilt after being razed three years ago, was also targeted by demonstrators who detonated an explosion. It was then set on fire, the Ambon Diocese Crisis Centre reported.
The unrest is testing the strength of a peace deal signed in February between the Christian and Muslim communities. The truce had stemmed much of the sectarian fighting, which left up to 9,000 people dead.
The RMS had announced repeatedly that it would mark the 52nd anniversary of a failed independence bid yesterday. The small group is banned in Indonesia for its aggressive campaign to make the southern part of the Maluku archipelago an independent nation, demanding a referendum on self-determination.
It has come to represent hardline Christian aspirations in the region, 2,600 km east of Jakarta. Its presence is often cited by local Muslims as justification for their own militancy. Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, but Maluku's two million inhabitants are divided evenly between Muslims and Christians.
RMS claims widespread support. But analysts say its reach and influence are small compared to separatist groups in Aceh and Papua province."We don't want violence, but we are determined to keep struggling for independence," said RMS secretary-general Moses Tuankota. Two of its leaders were arrested last week and have been charged with treason.
Earlier this month, a bomb exploded in a Christian area of the city, killing seven and injuring scores of others. It was the first major violation of the ceasefire.