Ambon's Religious Bloodbath - Indonesia

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April 1999
It's no wonder inhabitants are risking their lives to leave a Place where there is so much death. Rare video captures a mob wielding machetes and fire-bombing houses. "I took out my sword and took off four heads," says one gang member. 50,000 Muslims gather at the dock to escape, clambering up makeshift ropes onto an overcrowded ship. Christians soon arrive on another boat, refugees from a different island. They are chased back to their ship. The army is all that stands between the factions. Many accuse local criminals of exploiting religious tension to gain power in the vacuum left by Suharto. The migration policies that forced the archipelago together are now falling apart, and the islands are left hanging together by a fine political thread.

ABC Australia

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: November 23, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Author: journeymanpictures

Length: 00:20:42
Rating: 4.35
Views: 37972

Tags: indonesia civil war religous muslim christian militias journeyman pictures

Video Comments:
indonBabiKurap (November 13, 2008 at 11:24 pm)
Maluku MERDEKA!
d0min0danc1ng (November 13, 2008 at 9:39 pm)
12:45 Beautiful island! Looks like Jamaica or bermuda there must tons surfing beaches there too bad the violence tore the island apart
a20122012z (November 5, 2008 at 10:26 am)
why they do this to their own country?
a20122012z (November 4, 2008 at 6:38 am)
why must die?
jescumi (October 31, 2008 at 10:22 am)
Humans.. they just love to solve anything with violence.. keep the good job! use religions as an excuse, use race as an excuse, use nationality as an excuse... just keep on doing such things until you drove yourselves into extinction... so stupid..
13inchesDragon (October 30, 2008 at 3:31 pm)
PLEASE my brothers
MOSLEM, CHRISTIAN, HINDU, BUDDHIST in Indonesia.
Wake up ... we need one another. Really!!!
Look how poor we are on this rich island.!
When riot created... investor not investing!
People get poorer ...
And those country that has money start to push us on the lowest bottom of investing with many unexpected condition.
They become a king in our country by our serve.
aquahelper (October 28, 2008 at 3:37 am)
I wish they translated the indonesian, I can understand bits and peaces but not enough without watching the same part over and over again
djz (October 25, 2008 at 9:47 am)
this is why i don't like ambon...

my teacher (ambonese) kept saying how muslims are so bad and i'm not even muslim (i'm indo)
she kept giving me bad grades for it ayah
algodjo (October 24, 2008 at 1:33 pm)
Maluku MERDEKA!!!!!
PanahWaaier (October 23, 2008 at 1:42 pm)
Bangsa Maluku bersatu!!!

Mena!!!