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The Universe Newsroom, November 07, 2005

Warning over terror gangs in Indonesia

A Christian leader has called on the British Government to put pressure on Indonesia to allow freedom of worship for Christians. A guest of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Rev Rinaldy Damanik, leader of the Protestant Church in Central Sulawesi, warned that the terrorist groups who target Christians in Indonesia will cause problems for the international community if action is not taken.

"At the moment the terrorists are free to roam all over Indonesia which is becoming a hotbed for terrorism - there needs to be pressure brought by the international community to act," he said. Christians have faced increasing violence from Muslim paramilitary groups in Indonesia over recent years, with the government seemingly unwilling to address the problems.

Based in central Sulawesi, Rev Damanik has himself been targeted by the terror gangs, who once offered £50,000 to anyone who would behead him. The minister was equally unpopular with the authorities for his outspoken statements on hum-an rights issues. He was held for more than two years in prison after being falsely accused of possessing illegal weapons. Rev Damak was working as the director of a crisis centre when he was arrested in 2002.

He spoke out about the attacks on Christian groups and acted to help the victims. "I made a strong statement at that time asking the government to act against the paramilitaries who were carrying out the attacks," he said. He believes it was as a result of this that he was set up over the weapons charge.

While in prison he received 67,985 letters of support from Christians around the world. He believes it was the international and internal pressure from within Indonesia - including from Muslim leaders - that forced the President of Indonesia to release him one year short of the completion of his sentence.

Since his release, Rev Damak has been part of the Post Alliance Community which has brought together representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities in search of reconciliation.

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