Muslims occupy one end of town, Christians the other.
Armed soldiers keep a tense watch next to the barbed wire and the checkpoints.
Around them are the reminders of the religious hatred that has torn Ambon asunder. But it is clear that the tradition now lies buried underneath the rubble. The church was destroyed in an attack by Muslim mobs in late December. The Al-Fatah mosque, Ambon's oldest, is a short walk away. Its green halls are crammed with refugees who have escaped attacks on their villages by mobs.