E. Java police deploy sniffer dogs in inspection on Ambon-bound travelers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Thu, 09/15/2011 2:42 AM


East Java Police have deployed sniffer dogs in their search of Ambon-bound travelers at Tanjung Perak seaport in Surabaya on Wednesday, in apparent show of seriousness to prevent provocateurs from going to conflict-ridden Ambon.

Tanjung Perak police port chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jayadi said that police did not want to take any risk of letting people, who have bad intention of fanning the flames of conflict in Ambon to slip through their dragnet.

"In accordance with the order and instruction from East Java Police chief, we don't want even any single traveler who plans to spread terror in Ambon riding ships from Tanjuk Perak. Everyone is subject to search," said Jayadi on Wednesday at the port, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Tight security measures have caused long line of would-be travelers to queue before boarding to the ships.

Police and military officers use metal detectors to check the travelers, including their hand luggage.

"We deploy sniffer dogs to find suspicious material carried in the luggage," Jayadi said.

Police have deployed personnel to ports used for travel to the province such as Ponorogo, Banyuwangi, Pasuruan, Gresik and Tanjung Perak seaports, as well as airports as a precautionary measure, following the spread of an SMS in East Java calling for jihad and inviting people to go to Ambon.

At least seven people died and dozens were injured in recent rioting in Ambon.

The Jakarta Post, Wed, 09/14/2011 10:42 PM


Commenting on Sunday’s riots in Ambon, former vice president Jusuf Kalla has suggested that the government not divide residential areas in Ambon based on religion, as to do so increases social tensions.

“Dividing the residents into Islam and Christian groups is the root of the problem in Ambon,” Kalla said on Wednesday.

“Rumors and misunderstandings will be catching if they live exclusively in a Christian village or a Muslim village. They have to blend.”

Riots broke out on Sunday in Ambon after a rumor spread via text message alleged that a Muslim ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver was tortured to death by a group of Christians. Seven people were killed and 65 others were injured, and around 200 buildings were burned down or damaged in the riots.

Police later said that the ojek driver had actually died in a road accident, as confirmed by an autopsy, and that irresponsible persons had distorted the facts and provoked the angry response, which then broke out into rioting.

On Wednesday, police said they had traced back one of the provocative texts to its sender, but would further probe whether or not the text message caused the riots.

“The message was sent from Ambon to Surabaya, Surakarta [Central Java] and to some other regions,” National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Sutarman said as quoted by tribunnews.com