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U.S Department of State
International Information Programs
Washington File
13 February 2001
Text: Chairman Abrams on Indonesia's Religious Conflict
(Commission on International Religious Freedom statement) (960)
Jakarta's failure to stop escalating sectarian violence in the Moluccan Islands came under scrutiny at a February 13 hearing of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Congress created the USCIRF through the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to give independent recommendations to the executive branch of the U.S. government and to the Congress.
Elliott Abrams, the commission's chairman, in prepared remarks for the hearing said that while conflict between believers of different faiths was not the same as government persecution of a religious group, the lack of effective action by Jakarta to stem the violence was a legitimate topic for the USCIRF to take up.
"While a civil war between religious groups does not constitute government sponsored persecution," Abrams said in his opening remarks, "it has the effect of severely violating religious freedom, and if the Indonesian government is not doing what it can to stop it, then it falls within in the purview of this Commission's mandate."
In the spring of 2000, he added, "a new element entered the Moluccan conflict that changed the nature of the fighting dramatically."
In April of last year, Abrams continued, "fighters from a group called Laskar Jihad, an apparently militant Muslim group from outside the Moluccas, arrived on the Islands, raising the fighting to new and more deadly levels."
Starting in October of last year, Abrams said, "there were increasing numbers of allegations of people being forced to convert to Islam or be killed."
The Jakarta regime, he added, "while decrying the forced conversions, has done little or nothing to stop the militant forces or halt the fighting generally."
The hearing, which took place on Capitol Hill, was made up of two panels. Among the panelist set to testify about conditions in that Southeast Asian nation were H.M. Jusuf Ely Yayasan from Ambon, Indonesia, John Titaley of Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga, Indonesia, and Paul Gardner, the former U.S. ambassador to neighboring Papua New Guinea.
Following is the text of Chairman Elliott Abrams opening remarks:
(begin text)
INDONESIA HEARING
FEBRUARY 13, 2001
Chairman Elliott Abrams Opening Remarks
We turn our attention this afternoon to Indonesia, and specifically to the violent conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Moluccas that has raged for more than two years. We will not be looking here at a situation of government persecution of religious adherents, but rather at a horrifying war between two religious groups that have until now existed together on these small, far-flung islands for centuries. We will also be examining, if not the government's action, then its inaction, as well as the role of the Indonesian Armed Forces in the conflict, Since January 1999, anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 people, Christians and Muslims, have been killed in the Moluccas. Houses of worship from both communities have been destroyed. Over 500,000 people, again, both Christians and Muslims, have been forced to flee in fear of their lives.
While a civil war between religious groups does not constitute government sponsored persecution, it has the effect of severely violating religious freedom, and if the Indonesian government is not doing what it can to stop it, then it falls within in the purview of this Commission's mandate. Moreover, last spring, a new element entered the Moluccan conflict that changed the nature of the fighting dramatically, In April 2000, fighters from a group called Laskar Jihad, an apparently militant Muslim group from outside the Moluccas, arrived on the Islands, raising the fighting to now and more deadly levels. Beginning in October of last year, there were increasing numbers of allegations of people being forced to convert to Islam or be killed. This is, needless to say, ail alarming development. The Indonesian government under President Abdurrahman Wahid, while decrying the forced conversions, has done little or nothing to stop the militant forces or halt the fighting generally. In any case, President Wahid currently finds himself in a precarious situation, as he is under great pressure to resign amid allegations of corruption. The Commission's responsibility is also to ask what the United States can do in the face of this horrible conflict, particularly given the shakiness of the current government in Jakarta.
The origins of the conflict in the Moluccas, the role of the Laskar Jihad, the future of Indonesia, and the role of the U.S. are just some of the topics we hope to learn more about today. As in the morning we have two panels this afternoon. The first will examine and explain the conflict on the Moluccas and the second will discuss U.S.-Indonesian relations and U.S. policy options with regard to the country and the conflict. For the first panel, we have two witnesses who are themselves from the Moluccas, representatives of the, Muslim and Christian communities there, We are honored by their presence here and look forward to their testimony. They are joined by six U.S. based experts on Indonesia, who will offer us the fruits of their experience and knowledge of that country.
Again, I must ask that each presenter keep his testimony to 8-10 minutes. After all of the witnesses have made their presentations, we will move to questions from the commissioners. Let me advise you that I will indicate to the witnesses when their time has expired. We have a lot to examine today, including a very grave situation in a remote part of Indonesia, so we want to ensure that we can ask as many questions as possible.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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