Trouble flared again in Maluku Province February 22, this time on the island of Saparua, when Muslim and Christian gangs attacked each other. Saparua is near Ambon, where some 160 people were killed in similar violence in January. Police were issued shoot-to-kill orders in mid-February in an effort to contain the unrest, and this most recent trouble confirms that passions remain high. Thousands flocked to Ambon’s port in an effort to flee the area. Travel to this region with caution.
