Jubilee Campaign, January 4, 2006
Bomb Rips Christian Market in Palu on New Year's Day
Note: Scroll over photos to see captions.
Efforts to hold onto peace in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, were again battered New
Year's Day in yet another in a series of unexplained bombings and shootings targeting
the Christian community. With eight dead and 54 injured, the Christian community
started the new year in anguish and mourning. Christians in Palu, the capitol of
Central Sulawesi, face yet another challenge to their faith and to their trust in the
Indonesian government's promises to protect them. To date, the government has
made no progress whatsoever in locating, arresting or bringing to justice the
perpetrators of the relentless bombings and killings of the Christian community carried
out in 2005.
 Instead, according to the Jakarta
Post, a firing squad is being arranged
to execute three Christian farmers on
dubious evidence and dubious court
proceedings. In mid-December,
believing that quiet diplomacy has
not been working, Jubilee Campaign
launched a letter-writing campaign to
stop the executions of Fabianus
Tibo, Marinus Riwu and Dominggus
da Silva. The execution of these
men, whom the Christian community
as well as Muslim human rights
organizations in Central Sulawesi
deem to have been mere scapegoats, could inflame the Christian community to lash
back. It could very well irrevocably dissolve the Malino Peace Agreement, thereby
fulfilling the goals and aims of those orchestrating the series of bombings and killings
in 2005. Although no hard evidence yet exists to connect the Tentena bombing in
May, the beheadings of three Christians girls in November, the various individual
Christians shot dead throughout 2005 and this latest market bombing on New Year's
Day, clearly each of these incidents was intended to provoke the Christian
community. Executing a group of Christians who were only defending their homes and
protecting fellow villagers from violence while allowing the perpetrators of this long
series of attacks to go free would certainly call into question the Indonesian
government's commitment to justice for all, and could cost Central Sulawesi its
already fragile peace.
Click here for an update on the three condemned men from the Jakarta Post
Jubilee Campaign recently received a commentary and outline of events that have
occurred in Central Sulawesi this past year from a source intimately familiar with the
area. Excerpts from this report follow.
Islamic Terrorists Bomb Palu Christian Market
Ibrahim B.
(PALU, January 1, 2006) -- At 7:30am in the Christian meat market opposite the
Bethel Church in Maesa, Palu, Central Sulawesi, while Christians and Buddhists were
busily purchasing meat, mainly pork, in preparation for the New Year's celebrations,
one of two bombs exploded, flashing bright, sharp shrapnel among the busy morning
shoppers, ripping many to pieces and severely wounding others.
 In all, eight died and some 54 others
were injured. Some of my friends
were killed and a number injured. It is
difficult to hold back the tears when
innocent people are so badly
mutilated.
2005 has been a year of terror in
Central Sulawesi. On May 28, two
bombs ripped through the Tentena
market, killing 24 and injuring 97.
Note the following list of some of the
other terrorist attacks this year--and
we are still waiting for the police to catch the culprits! After every attack the Christians
are told by the police, the government, the Islamic leaders: "Don't be provoked by
these terrorist attacks!" But are we to sit here and wait until we are exterminated?
July 28 -- Three active bombs were founded in Tagolu Village, near Poso.
August 3 -- Mr. Budiyanto, 31, who gave testimony about the suspects in the
Tentena market bombing and other shooting incidents, was shot dead in the
Poso area.
August 4 -- Mr. Sarlito, 43, who also gave testimony about the suspects in the
Tentena bombing and other shooting incidents in Poso, was shot dead.
September 17 -- A bomb exploded in Bone Sompe, Poso. Four people (Mrs.
Sinta, 44, Miss Selvi, 28, Mr. Ical, 19, and Mr. Pudin, 24) were seriously
injured.
September 29 -- Hasrin Lajidi, 43, was shot dead at Landangan, Poso.
October 3 -- Milton Tadoa, 53, was shot dead in Pantangolemba, Poso.
October 12 -- A policeman, Detective Agus Sulaiman, 27, who was involved in
the investigation of the Tentena bombings and other incidents, was shot and
killed.
October 22 -- The militants tried to bring a large consignment of weapons,
including 900 detonators and 375 kg of explosive materials, into Poso via East
Kalimantan and Pare-Pare, South Sulawesi. Four of the six militants were
caught but two managed to escape. (Statement by Chief of East Kalimantan
Police; Kompas Newspaper, October 22, 2005). During a house-to-house
search, the South Sulawesi police found 2,500 bullets and seven machine
guns at Kasintuwu, a small village 90 km from Tentena-Poso at the border of
South and Central Sulawesi.
October 27 -- A bomb exploded in a Christian bus, Omega, on the way from
Palu to Tentena.
October 29 -- Four female students, Ida Sambue, 16, Alfita Poliwo, 18,
Theresia Morangki, 15, and Noviana Malewa, 16, were attacked at 6:30am
while walking from their village, Buyumboyo, 3 km east of Poso, to their
Christian high school. Three of them were beheaded; Noviana is recovering
from serious injuries. Two heads were found in plastic bags 15 km west of
Poso; one head was found 9 km south of Poso. In each plastic bag, the
perpetrators left a provocative note: "We will murder 100 more Christian
teenagers and their heads will be presented as presents. Give this message to
Mr. Damanik, Mr. Piet [Poso Regent], Mr. Pelima [Head of Poso Parliament]
and Mr. Arianto Kongkoli."
 November 8 -- Two Poso high
school girls were shot in the
face. Siti Nuraini, 17, has a
bullet lodged in her upper
mouth, and Ivon was severely
wounded and is still in the
hospital after a bullet entered
her left cheek and exited her
right cheek.
November 19 -- Pudji
Sulaksono MSc, M.Pil, 49, a
lecturer in agriculture at the
Tadulako University, and his wife, Novelin Palinggi, 37, were shot by attackers
on a motorcycle in Palu at 7:40pm in front of the Islamic Center. Pudji was
shot through the back with the bullet exiting his stomach while Novelin was
shot in the chest with the bullet lodging in her left ribcage. Pudji & Novelin were
returning from a thanksgiving service in the home of Pastor Garsoni Langgoni of
the Presbyterian Church (GKI) in Tondo, Bumi Roviga, Palu. Both were
seriously injured.
"While we were yet sinners Christ died for us," wrote Paul in Romans 5:8. God put his
love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use
whatever to him. What amazing love!
Lord help us to be strong. We still cry for justice but we must never forget mercy.
If you wish to respond directly to Ibrahim B., please e-mail him at:
ibrahim@indonesiawatch.org
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Indonesia: Ex-President Asks for Stay of Execution
Jakarta, 19 December (AKi/Jakarta Post) -- Former Indonesian president
Abdurrahman Wahid has joined growing calls for the president to delay the execution
of three inmates on death row for their roles in several murders in Poso, Central
Sulawesi, five years ago. He said the delay was needed to allow for further
investigation into other people, including the masterminds behind the bloodshed
involving Muslims and Christians in the conflict-prone Central Sulawesi town.
Abdurrahman Wahid met with a group of religious leaders from Poso, including Rev.
Rinaldy Damanik, at the headquarters of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest
Muslim organization, the Indonesian agency Antara reported on Saturday.
The respected Muslim cleric, also a former NU chairman, demanded the
establishment of an independent fact-finding team to uncover the truth behind the
mass killings, including the masterminds.
More than 1,000 people were killed in the Muslim-Christian fighting between 2000 and
2001. A peace deal was signed in the South Sulawesi town of Malino in December
2001, following talks facilitated by then coordinating minister for people's welfare Jusuf
Kalla.
Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu are now on death row after
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied clemency for them, which was their
last hope to escape execution after the Supreme Court upheld their death penalties.
Tibo had previously given police the names of 16 other people involved in the killings
who are still at large.
A group of activists and religious figures, including Muslim leaders, have demanded a
delay to the execution, saying they believed Tibo and friends were not the
masterminds of the violence.
Meanwhile, Palu Police chief Brig. Gen. Oegroseno said he had received a letter from
the Central Sulawesi Prosecutors Office to prepare the firing squad team for the
execution.
"But we have not yet decided on the team, the timing and the place (for the
execution). I think we'll let them celebrate Christmas and the New Year first," he said.
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Instead, according to the Jakarta
Post, a firing squad is being arranged
to execute three Christian farmers on
dubious evidence and dubious court
proceedings. In mid-December,
believing that quiet diplomacy has
not been working, Jubilee Campaign
launched a letter-writing campaign to
stop the executions of Fabianus
Tibo, Marinus Riwu and Dominggus
da Silva. The execution of these
men, whom the Christian community
as well as Muslim human rights
organizations in Central Sulawesi
deem to have been mere scapegoats, could inflame the Christian community to lash
back. It could very well irrevocably dissolve the Malino Peace Agreement, thereby
fulfilling the goals and aims of those orchestrating the series of bombings and killings
in 2005. Although no hard evidence yet exists to connect the Tentena bombing in
May, the beheadings of three Christians girls in November, the various individual
Christians shot dead throughout 2005 and this latest market bombing on New Year's
Day, clearly each of these incidents was intended to provoke the Christian
community. Executing a group of Christians who were only defending their homes and
protecting fellow villagers from violence while allowing the perpetrators of this long
series of attacks to go free would certainly call into question the Indonesian
government's commitment to justice for all, and could cost Central Sulawesi its
already fragile peace.
In all, eight died and some 54 others
were injured. Some of my friends
were killed and a number injured. It is
difficult to hold back the tears when
innocent people are so badly
mutilated.
November 8 -- Two Poso high
school girls were shot in the
face. Siti Nuraini, 17, has a
bullet lodged in her upper
mouth, and Ivon was severely
wounded and is still in the
hospital after a bullet entered
her left cheek and exited her
right cheek.