Declaration Sought for Indonesia Isle
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JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Indonesian military urged the government today to declare a civil emergency in the eastern island of Ambon, where religious clashes that have killed at least 55 people entered their fourth day.
The clashes, which started Sunday after rumors that a Muslim youth had been run over by a Christian, continued overnight with angry mobs torching several buildings, a military spokesman said.
“Fighting is still continuing,” Lt. Col. Iwa Budiman said from Ambon city, about 1,500 miles east of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. He said police were preparing to hand over security to the military.
The fighting in Ambon was the latest flare-up of sectarian violence in the Moluccas, in eastern Indonesia, that has killed more than 800 people since January.
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