RELATED NEWS: Religious Violence Flares in Indonesia
AMBON, Indonesia -- Christians and Muslims armed with swords, spears and homemade bombs battled and burned places of worship yesterday in an escalation of deadly religious fighting in eastern Indonesia.
Three people were killed and at least four were seriously injured in the district of Kei Besar, Muslim leader Akar Roroa said by telephone. A church, a mosque and several houses were set afire.
The unrest had spread from nearby Tual, a city in the troubled province of Maluku, which has been hit by chronic rioting since January. Until now, the center of the violence has been in the provincial capital, Ambon, where at least 200 people have died.
But the conflict shifted this week to Tual and outlying areas such as Kei Besar. As many as 31 people have died since March 31,including 24 in Tual, said the city's top official, Regent Hussein Rahayan.
Clinton Urged to Mention New Party to Zhu
BEIJING -- A member of a banned Chinese opposition party has written to President Clinton urging him to mention the beleaguered party's plight when he meets with China's premier in Washington.
Gao Hongmin asked Clinton to encourage Premier Zhu Rongji to back human rights improvements that would give Chinese the freedom to voice their opinions and form opposition parties. Zhu is scheduled to leave Tuesday for a trip to the United States and Canada.
Gao is among Chinese activists who have continued to try to set up the China Democracy Party despite a government crackdown late last year that led to the imprisonment of three leading members. |
