VZCZCXRO9312
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0137/01 3530828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180828Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0338
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0164
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0021
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0324
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0344
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0056

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000137 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, DRL, INR/EAP, EAP/DS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KISL KIRF PTER PINS ASEC ID
SUBJECT: MALUKU: PEACE REIGNS AFTER ALLEGED BLASPHEMY SPARKS A 
DAY-LONG SECTARIAN RIOT 
 
SURABAYA 00000137  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Rebuilding is underway in the Central Maluku 
town of Masohi after a day-long sectarian riot broke out there 
after more than four years of calm.  On December 9, more than 60 
houses and two churches were burned and six people were injured 
in Masohi on Seram Island some 120 km east of the provincial 
capital Ambon.  Nearly 300 families fled their homes as a result 
of violence.  Local press and Congen Surabaya contacts suggest 
that the riot was triggered by the anti-Islamic statements of a 
Christian elementary school teacher the town.  Police also named 
Asmara Wasahua, a local legislative candidate from the 
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) as a suspect in inciting the 
crowd to violence.  Authorities and local community leaders 
prevented the conflict from spreading and Congen Surabaya 
contacts confirmed that the violence had ended entirely by 
December 10.  Sources said it was too early to speculate on 
possible political manipulation of the riot.  For now, all 
fingers point to the unfortunate statements of an elementary 
school teacher as the proximate cause.  End Summary 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) On December 9, one day after Muslims celebrated Eid ul 
Adha, a major religious holiday and national holiday in 
Indonesia, a riot broke out in Masohi in a response to rumors 
that elementary school teacher Welhemina Holle, had insulted 
Islam in comments she made while teaching a sixth grade class. 
She allegedly commented that Muslims look like goats chewing 
grass while they pray.  News of the insult was especially 
inflammatory during a holiday that includes the sacrifice of 
goats, sheep and cows and distribution of the meat to the poor. 
Students reported their teacher's statement to their parents and 
news of the alleged blasphemy spread quickly through the Muslim 
community.  The local chapter of Indonesian Muslim Council (MUI) 
lodged a police complaint and by 8:30 AM  on December 9 some 500 
Muslims had gathered to demonstrate in front of the Central 
Maluku Department of Education.  Parents of students who had 
witnessed Holle's statement brought their children to the 
protest and demanded that Holle be dismissed. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Mr. Abidin of Maluku Interfaith Forum told 
Congen Surabaya violence started when an unidentified man 
provoked the protesters by striking a light pole-a common means 
of warning a community of danger.  Protestors started throwing 
rocks and rioting quickly spread.  Two churches, a health 
clinic, some 67 homes, four vans used for public transport, and 
a motorcycle were burned. Six people were injured, two 
seriously.  Congen Surabaya contacts said tensions remain high 
in Ambon and many said that the telecommunications network was 
barely operational for almost six hours.  Rumors continue that 
communications were blocked by authorities to avoid provocation 
by cell phone voice and SMS. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
Community Leaders Stop Violence From Spreading 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Police were deployed immediately to the site of the 
riot and by the next day, December 10, Masohi had nearly 
returned to normal.  While some markets, offices, and schools 
had yet to reopen, residents returned to their homes after 
seeking refuge at the barracks of the 731 Kabaressy Infantry 
Battalion.  The Governor, the Pattimura Military Commander, the 
Maluku Police Chief, the MUI chairman, and the head of 
Protestant Synod all traveled to Masohi and held a public dialog 
with local religious and community leaders.  Local leaders 
agreed to maintain calm after the governor urged them to learn 
from the past when prolonged sectarian conflict claimed 
thousands of lives. 
 
 
 
SURABAYA 00000137  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
With Culprits Caught, Reflection and Rebuilding 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Police have detained three people; Welhemina Holle, 
Asmara Wasahua, and Mohammad Boci Patty.  On December 12, the 
Maluku Police Chief, Mudji Waluyo, named Welhemina and Asmara 
Wasahua as suspects for sparking the riot.  Boci Patty is 
currently charged with twelve counts of arson.  Holle was 
charged with blasphemy, while Asmara who was caught on film 
leading a protest that later turned into a riot, is being 
charged with inciting criminal behavior.  Asmara Wasahua is the 
chairman of the Central Maluku Muslim Communication Forum and 
PKS' legislative candidate for the Central Maluku legislature. 
During a December 10 conversation about the involvement of 
political parties in the Masohi riot, Sufi Madjid, a member of 
Maluku provincial legislature from PKS denied involvement by his 
or any political party in the riot.  Abidin of Maluku Interfaith 
Forum said that Welhemina Holle might be innocent of the 
accusations, or she might simply be ignorant of the impact of 
her statements on her students.  Alternatively, he speculated, 
she might have been willfully misinterpreted and a victim of a 
conspiracy to start a riot. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Reverend John Ruhulessin, Chairman of Maluku's 
Protestant Synod suggested that a collective apology to Muslims 
by Christians was in order if the blasphemy charges proved true. 
 Sufi Madji told Congen Surabaya that, when linked to religious 
faith, any incident no matter how small could spark a riot and 
"cause ordinary people to do bad things."  On December 17 Maluku 
Governor, Karel Ralahalu, estimated that government needs Rp. 
1.8 billion (USD 165,000) to repair houses, churches, and public 
facilities damaged during the riot.  Abdulah Tuasikal, the 
Regent of Central Maluku, said that the local government has 
started to repair houses and churches, hopefully in time for 
Christmas services. While there are indications that local 
politicians might yet turn the riot to political purposes, 
Ikhsan Tauleka of Maluku Democratization Watch told us that it 
is still too early to tell if the riot can be traced to the 
continued rivalry between Regent Abdulah Tuasikal who is a 
failed PKS gubernatorial candidate, and incumbent Governor Karel 
Ralahalu who won the Governor's race with the support of the 
Indonesian Party for Democratic Struggle PDI-P in July 2008. 
MCCLELLAND