Chris Tanasale
{{Short description|Indonesian former politician and military officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Chris Tanasale
|image = Kol-Inf-Chris-Tanasale-236x300.jpg
|caption = Official portrait as mayor
|office = Mayor of Ambon
|term_start = 1996
|term_end = 2001
|predecessor = Johanes Sudijono
|successor = Marcus Jacob Papilaja
|office1 = Member of Maluku DPRD
|term_start1 = 1992
|term_end1 = 1996
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|branch = Indonesian Army
|rank = Colonel
}}
Chris Tanasale is an Indonesian former politician and military officer who served as the mayor of Ambon, Maluku between 1996 and 2001.{{cite web |title=Nama & Masa Jabatan Walikota |url=https://ambon.go.id/nama-masa-jabatan-walikota/ |publisher=Ambon City Government |access-date=24 April 2024 |language=id}} He served in the Indonesian Army and reached the rank of colonel,{{cite news |title=Ketua DPD LVRI Maluku Pimpin Upacara Peringatan HUT Veteran RI Ke 65 di TMP Kapahaha Tantui |url=https://malukuexpress.com/ketua-dpd-lvri-maluku-pimpin-upacara-peringatan-hut-veteran-ri-ke-65-di-tmp-kapahaha-tantui/daerah/ |access-date=24 April 2024 |work=MALUKUEXPRESS.COM |date=3 January 2022 |language=id}} and was appointed into Maluku's Regional House of Representatives in 1992 as an army representative.{{cite book |title=Pemilihan umum 1992 dari daerah ke daerah |date=1994 |publisher=Lembaga Pemilihan Umum |page=525 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=khWOAAAAMAAJ |language=id}}
His selection as mayor by governor {{ill|Akib Latuconsina|id|M. Akib Latuconsina}} in 1996 was a compromise. Latuconsina, a Muslim, sought to appoint a Muslim military officer to the position to replace the previous mayor Johanes Sudijono, but Indonesian Democratic Party representatives in Ambon's city council resisted and sought to retain Sudijono. Latuconsina relented and chose Tanasale, a Christian military officer, to prevent alienating Christians in the city.{{cite book |last1=Bertrand |first1=Jacques |title=Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia |date=2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-52441-4 |pages=118–119 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2oZQRuT78JIC&dq=chris+tanasale&pg=PA119}}
Both the fall of Suharto and the outbreak of sectarian violence in Maluku occurred during his tenure, with the city of Ambon experiencing a sharp rise in unemployment.{{cite book |last1=Panggabean |first1=Samsu Rizal |title=Konflik dan Perdamaian Etnis di Indonesia |date=1 September 2018 |publisher=Pustaka Alvabet |isbn=978-602-6577-39-9 |page=154 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dw5zDwAAQBAJ&dq=pengangguran+ambon+chris+tanasale&pg=PA154 |language=id}} As the conflict spread throughout Maluku and Ambon, refugees flooded into Ambon and occupied abandoned shops which had been damaged by the fighting. The city government under Tanasale experienced a drop in revenues, and rehabilitation efforts were hindered by lack of communication with the provincial government.{{cite news |title=Sejumlah Pertokoan di Ambon Berubah Fungsi |url=https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/11402/sejumlah-pertokoan-di-ambon-berubah-fungsi |access-date=24 April 2024 |work=liputan6.com |date=17 April 2001 |language=id}} According to a report by the Diocese of Amboinia, the city government under Tanasale sponsored a market day in Ambon to promote meetings between Muslims and Christians, but the market quickly descended into stone-throwing and fighting.{{cite web |publisher=Diocese of Amboinia |title=The Situation in Ambon: Moluccas – Reports (June 22- July 3, 2000) |url=http://www.hpgrumpe.de/reisebilder/molukken/Crisis%20Centre%20Diocese%20of%20Amboina%20-%20reports.htm |access-date=1 May 2024 }}
He was not reelected by the legislature for a second term in 2001, being defeated in a vote by Marcus Jacob Papilaja.{{cite news |title=Pemilihan Wali Kota Ambon Dijaga Ketat |url=https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/15882/pemilihan-wali-kota-ambon-dijaga-ketat |access-date=24 April 2024 |work=liputan6.com |date=4 July 2001 |language=id}} In 2003, he unsuccessfully ran as Vice Governor of Maluku in a legislature vote, receiving none of the 36 votes cast.{{cite news |title=Karel Albert Ralahalo Gubernur Maluku Terpilih |url=https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/60506/karel-albert-ralahalo-gubernur-maluku-terpilih |access-date=24 April 2024 |work=liputan6.com |date=17 August 2003 |language=id}} In 2015, he was elected for a five-year term as chairman of the Maluku veteran's association.{{cite web |title=Silaturahmi PT ASABRI (Persero) KC AMBON Bersamaan MUSDA-XI PEPABRI PROVINSI MALUKU |url=https://www.asabri.co.id/view/149/Silaturahmi_PT_ASABRI_(Persero)_KC_AMBON_Bersamaan_MUSDA-XI_PEPABRI_PROVINSI_MALUKU |access-date=1 May 2024 |language=id |date=7 August 2015}}