Alex Sariwating/Suharto, Ambon, Maluku – Police will probe the raising of the South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist movement flag at the Corruption Court in Ambon, Maluku's provincial capital, on Monday when Indonesians marked the 75th anniversary of the country's independence.

"We will trace possible witnesses to expose (the identities of) people that had hoisted the RMS separatist flag," Chief of the Maluku Provincial Police Inspector General Baharuddin Djafar stated here on Monday.

Djafar pointed out that the local people's awareness of the RMS separatist movement had grown more measurable as was apparent from the lowering of the separatist flag and reporting of the incident to the police.

"The Maluku people have become increasingly aware that hoisting of the RMS separatist flag was not permissible, so they lowered the flag and handed it over to the Maluku Provincial Police as evidence," he stated.

Stenly Pattipeilohy, 36, a resident of Passo Village in Ambon, notified the Baguala Police Precinct on Monday morning of the hoisting of the separatist flag at the Corruption Court in Ambon City.

Pattipeilohy revealed that at 6 a.m. local time, his neighbor, Mrs. Desy, informed him of someone hoisting the separatist flag at the Corruption Court located some 200 meters from her home.

Source: https://en.antaranews.com/news/154446/police-to-investigate-rms-separatist-flag-hoisting-incident