Spirit Ambon

Spirit Ambon dan Kain Gandong Raksasa dari Angkasa
08-Sep-2005, Rudi Fofid-Ambon

AMBON, Radio Vox Populi ( Kamis, 8 September 2005)

Upacara hari jadi ke-430 Kota Ambon di Lapangan Merdeka, Rabu (7/9) kemarin, berlangsung meriah dalam suasana kental keambonan. Upulatu Ambon Jopie Papilaja dan Wakilnya Syarif Hadler menjadi bintang di antara para tamu dan warga kota.
Petaka kehormatan dikawal pasukan dengan style etnik. Suasana ini terlihat pada hampir semua peserta upacara. Kebaya, baniang dan cele Ambon ada di mana-mana. Ratusan jojaro dan mongare dengan busana merah dan hitam menjadi latar belakang. Mereka adalah kelompok biduan yang mengumandangkan lagu-lagu dinamik.
Rein Alfons menjadi konduktor di atas sintelband, sedang di barisan biduan ada sang piawai country Indonesia Frangky Sahilatua dengan gitarnya. Ada pula Indonesian Idol Danar, Karen dan Glenn Waas. Danar melantunkan you rise me up, setelah para ulama lima agama memanjatkan doa.
Tapi gegap gempita meledak ketika Frangky Sahilatua dan ratusan biduan menyanyikan Spirit Ambon. Musik sawat dan totobuang bersatu mengiringi alunan gitar. “Ambon, bangunlah, Ambon bangkitlah,” begitulah pesan dalam lagu yang dikarang Frangky dan Jopie Papilaja.
Sebuah klimaks terjadi dalam pesta hari jadi ini, yakni ketika helikopter datang bertengger di angkasa. Dari atas sana muncul lidah putih yang ternyata kain sepanjang sekitar 1000 meter. Dengan bantuan pemberat, kain gandong tersebut diturunkan. Begitu tiba di tanah, kain gandong dibawa melingkar oleh para pelajar SMP. Karen dan para biduan menyanyikan Sinamania. Upulatu Papilaja dan wakilnya Hadler turun dari tribun kehormatan dan masuk ke dalam lingkaran kain gandong.
Ketika upacara hari jadi 430 tahun ini berakhir, di pinggir lapangan Frangky Sahilatua masih memimpin massa melakukan pesta rakyat kecil-kecilan. Dengan gitar, dia melantunkan lagu-lagunya yang sarat kritik sosial. Sementara di Jalan Sultan Hairun, AY. Patty, AM Sangadji dan Anthoni Ribok, digelar panggung hiburan. Warga berpesta.
Pada malam hari, Upulatu menggelar resepsi di kediamannya. Para tamu dari Belanda yakni Walikota Vlissingen Anneke van Dok dan rombongan sepakbola Jong Ambon juga hadir sekaligus pamitan karena hari ini mereka langsung meninggalkan Kota Ambon. (VP)

Indonesia Human Right Day

http://www.thejakartapost.com/headlines.asp
ONE YEAR GONE: Activists from the group People's Solidarity for Munir stage a demonstration in front of the State Palace in Jakarta in observance of the first anniversary of human rights campaigner's murder. They demanded on Wednesday that the court find out who masterminded the murder. Munir died from a lethal dose of arsenic while on a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Who Killed Munir?
Rich Bowden
Worldpress.org
contributing editorSydney, Australia
December 24, 2004

Human rights in the sense of human solidarity has created a new universal and equal language going beyond racial, gender, ethnic or religious boundaries. That is why we consider it a doorway to dialogue for people of all socioeconomic groups and all ideologies.— Munir Said Thalib

With the police investigation into the poisoning of Munir Said Thalib — Indonesia’s leading human rights activist — seemingly stalled, his family and colleagues have linked his death to his tireless campaigning against corruption and human rights abuses. Opinions vary though on whom among his many enemies may have ordered the suspected assassination. Despite the interviewing of dozens of witnesses by Indonesian authorities, the identity of those responsible for the killing remains a mystery.
On the evening of Sept. 6, while flying on Garuda Flight 974 from Jakarta to Amsterdam to take up a scholarship to study international law at Utrecht University, the 38-year-old human rights campaigner and founder of the human rights organization Kontras became violently ill.
http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2002.cfm

Ambon 430 year anniversary / Ulang tahun Ambon ke-430

Today, September 7, is the 430th anniversary of the city of Ambon. This date was actually based on two important moments in the past. First, the year 1575, when the Portuguese group of soldiers builds the fort named "Nossa Senhora de Anuneiada", known by the people as "Benteng Kota Laha" in Honipopo, Ambon Island. That was a project conducted by workers mobilized from surrounding villages such as Kilang, Ema, Soya, Hutumuri, Halong, Hative, Seilale, Urimessing, Batu Mera, etc. The group of workers formed their compound called "Soa" (some of which still known until now like Soa-Ema and Soa-Bali area), which is later transformed into the City of Ambon (Citade Amboina) since it was changed to be the genealogic territorial society. The fort was later on passed to Dutch and named "Fort Nieuw Victoria". This fort is now used as the Masariku battalion headquarters.
Second moment is September 7th, the moment when the city of Ambon granted their autonomy by the Netherlands Indies authority in 1921 to conduct their own city government through a Gemeeteraad (City council), led by Alexander Yacob Patty (an Ambon-nationalist, known well by Sukarno, and later on was exiled to Digoel Papua by the Dutch authority).


Hari ini, 7 September, adalah ulang tahun kota Ambon ke-430. Tanggal ini tercatat berdasarkan dua kejadian penting di masa lalu. Kejadian pertama ialah tahun 1575, ketika tentara Portugis pertama kali membangun benteng yang diberi nama "Nossa Senhora de Anuneiada", atau yang dikenal oleh orang-orang waktu itu sebagai "Benteng Kota Laha" di Honipopo, pulau Ambon. Proyek ini berlangsung dengan memobilisasi para pekerja dari negeri-negeri di sekitar seperti dari Kilang, Ema, Soya, Hutumuri, Halong, Hative, Seilale, Urimessing, Batu Mera, dll. Para pekerja ini tinggal di dalam pemukiman-pemukiman yang mereka sebut "Soa" (beberapa masih kita kenal hingga kini seperti Soa Ema dan Soa Bali) yang kemudian berubah menjadi kota Ambon dengan identitas genealogis teritorial yang teratur. Benteng yang dibangun tadi, kemudian berubah menjadi benteng "Nieuw Victoria" pada jaman Belanda dan sekarang digunakan sebagai markas batalion Masariku.
Kejadian kedua adalah 7 September 1921, ketika pemerintah Hindia Belanda memberikan status otonomi kepada kota Ambon untuk mengurus dirinya sendiri melalui sebuah Gemeeteraad (dewan kota) yang antara lain beranggotakan Alexander Yacob Patty (seorang nasionalis, kawan Sukarno, yang selanjutnya diasingkan ke Digoel Papua).

About Mandala Airlines

Mandala Airlines was established and started operations in 1969. It is 90% owned by Yayasan Dharma Putra Kostrad (an Army’s wing of business) with the remaining 10% shared by Dharma, Kencana, Sakti and Nusamba. It has a total of 1322 employees. Mandala is a member of the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association endorsable ticket system allowing passengers to use tickets on any of the participating carriers.
Mandala Airlines main base is in Jakarta and it also has hubs at Surabaya, and Makasar. Domestic scheduled destinations (at January 2005): Denpasar, Ambon, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Batam, Jakarta, Jambi, Manado, Medan, Padang, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Surabaya, and Makasar.
At January 2005, the Mandala Airlines fleet consists of one Boeing 727-200, 13 Boeing 737-200 (one of it crashed in Medan yesterday) and two Boeing 737-400.


Mandala Airlines didirikan dan mulai beroperasi pada tahun 1969. 90% sahamnya dimiliki oleh Yayasan Dharma Putra Kostrad dan sisanya dimiliki oleh Dharma, Kencana, Sakti, dan Nusamba. Jumlah pegawainya 1322 orang. Mandala adalah anggota INACA (asosiasi perusahaan penerbangan Indonesia). Basis operasinya adalah di Jakarta (bandara Sukarno Hatta) dengan beberapa hub di Surabaya dan Makasar. Tujuan penerbangan domestiknya termasuk ke: Denpasar, Ambon, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Batam, Jakarta, Jambi, Manado, Medan, Padang, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Surabaya, and Makasar.Pada Januari 2005, armada Mandala Airlines terdiri dari satu Boeing 727-200, 13 Boeing 737-200 (salah satu yang jatuh di Medan) dan dua Boeing 737-400.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala_Airlines

Indonesia Jet Crash Kills at Least 147

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050906/ap/d8ceedf01.html

Tuesday September 6, 8:45 AM
Indonesia Jet Crash Kills at Least 147

Seconds after takeoff, an Indonesian airliner shook violently, veered to the left and slammed into a bustling neighborhood Monday, bursting into flames and killing at least 147 people _ many on the ground.

Up to 16 passengers survived the crash, including an 18-month-old shielded by his mother's arms.

The Mandala Airlines plane went down 500 yards from the Medan airport in north Sumatra, shoving aside cars and motorcycles before plowing into a row of houses. Witnesses said some people were on fire as they fled the shattered wreckage.

Investigators were trying to determine what caused the crash, Indonesia's second air disaster in nine months and the sixth worldwide since Aug. 1. Authorities considered foul play unlikely, but were examining the possibility of human error or technical failure, said airline managing director Asril Tanjung.

Schoolchildren in Ambon / Anaksekolah di Ambon

Kegembiraan anak-anak sekolah bermain basket di tengah kota Ambon. Di sebelah timurnya Lapangan Merdeka, sebelah selatan Kantor Gubernur Maluku, sebelah barat Kantor Walikota Ambon, dan sebelah utara Kantor Polisi Kota (dikenal sebagai "Pos Kota"). / School children enjoy playing basketball at downtown Ambon. Eastern side of the field is Merdeka Square, southern side is the Maluku Governor's Office, the Mayor's Office at the west side and the City Police Office (so called "Pos Kota" stands for "City Office) at the north side.