A/56/253 45. On 21 May 2001, in Ambon, extremists allegedly attacked Christians causing the death of at least six people. It is reported that 5,000 people have been killed since hostilities broke out in the Moluccas in January 1999. 46. Indonesia replied: “The Government of Indonesia has repeatedly condemned the violence associated with the recent Moluccan conflict, which originated in Ambon in 1999 and subsequently spread to most major islands in the chain, resulting in deaths as well as incalculable damage to infrastructures and public buildings. In addition, officials estimate that in total over 500,000 persons have been displaced by the fighting, mainly from the two hardest hit provinces of North Maluku and Maluku, with approximately 197,000 internally displaced persons generated from the former and 289,000 displaced persons from the latter. “With regard to the specific allegations mentioned in the above communications, President Wahid conceded in late December last year that hundreds of Christians on the islands of Keswui and Teor had been forced to convert to Islam in November and December 2000. The President was quick to express his abhorrence at such acts and condemned the practice outright. As for the incidences of forced circumcisions and female genital mutilations that allegedly took place, my Government cannot confirm these reports, although we concede that acts of gross human rights violations may unfortunately occur during internecine feuding and in cases of mob attacks. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the Government of Indonesia strongly deplores any action that leads to unacceptable physical and psychological trauma. Likewise, my Government also strongly condemns the 20 May 2001 attacks that occurred in Soya Kecil, Belakang Soya and Karang Panjang in Ambon, resulting in the deaths of at least 8 people and the injury of 17 others. The latest reports show that two members of the heavily armed group of attackers were among those killed. We deeply regret that these latest skirmishes come at a time when the rift between the two communities was showing definite signs of healing. “At this point, we believe that it is necessary to rectify the commonly held view, as reflected in your communications, that the Moluccan conflict is driven by religious disparities. More accurately, political and socio-economic causes, with cultural and ethnic overtones, are at the root of the trouble and have in turn sparked off religious tensions. Indeed, although the initial fighting broke out between local residents (Christians) and settlers (Muslims) over land tenure issues, complicated by status disparities between these two communities, it only later evolved into what has been perceived as religious clashes. Moreover, as the conflict gained momentum, ideology or religious beliefs were superseded by a desire for revenge, with each faction blaming the other for initiating and perpetuating the violence. As civilians fled to neighbouring areas, they exported their resentment to their new places of residence, thereby causing the violence to spread. “The rapidly spiralling conflict and the sheer numbers of people involved took the authorities by surprise and initially overwhelmed the limited forces in situ. However, an improvement was felt when the Government imposed a state of emergency and a curfew as well as undertaking all possible measures to curb the violence, including: 13