[Nasional-m] Three die in bomb explosion in Ambon

[Ambon]

The Jakarta Post
6 Sept. 2002

Three die in bomb explosion in Ambon

JAKARTA (Agencies): A powerful exploded at a stand in Merdeka Stadium in
Ambon on Thursday, killing three junior high-school students and injuring 11
others, some seriously.
Antara identified two of the dead as Carla P, 15, from State Junior High
School (SMPN) 4 and Yoke Siahaya from SMPN 6.Some of the injured are being
treated at the GPM Hospital.
The blast occurred at 5:40 p.m. when hundreds of people were exercising at
the stadium. It left a gaping hole at the scene.
Ambon, some 2,300 km east of Jakarta, is the main city in the Maluku
islands, where a wave of clashes between Muslims and Christians has claimed
more than 5,000 lives since early 1999.
Both sides signed a peace deal in February but tension remains high and
there has been sporadic violence. A state of civil emergency -- one level
down from martial law -- is still in place in the once scenic area.
However, the situation in Ambon remained relatively peaceful with people
continuing to conduct their daily activities unperturbed