Jubilee Campaign UK
Prayer Diary - August 1st To September 30th
The Indonesian authorities have yet to do a proper sweep of weapons in the Moluccas
islands and Sulawesi as had been agreed under the Malino peace agreements. While
Jafar Umar Thalib, the head of the militant Islamic group, Laskar Jihad, remains in jail,
attempts continue to be made to have him freed. His group is responsible for the
deaths of thousands of Christians in the Moluccas and Sulawesi and they have now
also infiltrated the predominantly Christian province of West Papua, with at least
3,000 fighters there. A few months after the Indonesian government finally announced
that they wanted the Laskar Jihad out of the Moluccas, nothing much has yet been
done to actually expel them and this militant group continues to maintain a strong
presence in the Moluccas islands. Their continued heavily armed presence makes it
very difficult for long lasting pea
House of Commons Debate on Violence Against Christian Communities in Asia
17 July 2002
11.48 am
Bob Spink (Castle Point): I feel quite humble standing to speak after such eloquent,
well-informed and passionate speeches. In particular, I congratulate the hon. member
for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on bringing this important matter before the House.
Like all the others speaker, the hon. Gentleman called on the Government to promote
religious freedom, tolerance and human rights. I accept the Government?s sincerity in
wishing to promote human rights, good governance and religious freedom, but when I
raised the matter in the House on 23 January in proposing new clause 1 to the
International Development Bill, the Government opposed linking non-humanitarian
development aid to human rights, good governance, religious freedom and the
development of democracy. That linkage defines so-called smart aid, which was
promoted by the USA in the late 1990s and is now being considered in institution as
strange as the European Union. I hope that the Government will now reconsider those
Conservative proposals.
On 23 January, I spoke about the fighters of Laskar Jihad, the militant Islamic group
responsible for killing thousands of Christians in the Moluccas and Sulawesi in
eastern Indonesia. The conservative estimate is that between 50000 and 60000
Christians have been killed so far during current problems. Laskar Jihad has recently
infiltrated the Indonesian province of West Papua. The militants are training local
militia who support Indonesian control of that province. The West Papuan-based
human rights group, El-sham, reports that currently at least 3,000 Laskar Jihad
fighters are there.
The British human rights group, jubilee Campaign, which I congratulate on its
excellent work, has long warned that Laskar Jihad?s objective is one of forced
Islamicisation and that that strategy is not confined to the Moluccas. It has been
implemented through Laskar Jihad?s extensive and systematic use of forced
conversions against Christians. The militants began by invading the Moluccas in
2000. They then moved to Sulawesi and have now moved to West Papua, where there
is a large Christian community. There will be much bloodshed if they are allowed to
operate freely there.
Laskar Jihad sent armed fighters into West Papua district of Fakfak and they are
operating military training camps there. Some of the Indonesians authorities support
the training that Laskar Jihad has been giving the pro-Jakarta; east Merah Putih
militia. Unrest and fear have spread through the Christian community in the Sarong
district of West Papua following the recent arrival of Jihad fighters who have been
trying to provoke religious tensions there.
In May 2000, Laskar Jihad invaded the Moluccas with about7000 fighters to wage a
jihad or so-called holy war against the indigenous Christians. That invasion caused
unprecedented levels of violence and resulted in the deaths of thousands. In
December 2001, the head of Indonesia?s national intelligence agency lieutenant
General Hendropriyono publicly confirmed that members of the al-Qaeda terrorist
network were joining Laskar Jihad in fighting against Christians in Sulawesi. Due to
pressure form fundamentalist Indonesian politicians, General Hendropriyono later
retracted the statement. However, he did so only because of political pressure?the
facts were totally accurate.
The Malino peace agreement, signed by Muslim and Christian leaders from Sulawesi
and the Moluccas indicates that positive steps towards peace are being made.
However, it is highly unlikely that there will be any long-term peace until Laskar Jihad
is completely removed from that area. A massacre in Soya occurred just a few days
after Laskar Jihad publicly rejected the Malino peace agreement. Jafar Umar Thalib,
the leader of Laskar Jihad, arrived in Ambon on 25 April and his presence added to
the religious tensions in that area. Suring his sermon before a large crowed at the
al-Fatah Mosque the next day, just two days before the massacre at Soya village,
Jafar said: Muslims will destroy all Christians in Ambon?
That is a statement of unbridled hatred, bigotry and incitement, Shortly after the
massacre, the Indonesian Government had Jafar arrested and I hope that they keep
him arrested, so that no more such massacres take place.
In Central Sulawesi, about 20,000 Christians have fled from their torched villages to
Tentena, a village of abut 8,000 inhabitants. The Christians in Tentena are cut off and
surrounded by thousands of Islamic fighters: if the Indonesian police and military fail
to protect Tentena, there will be massive bloodshed. While President Sukarnoputri? s
dispatch of thousands of additional soldiers to central Sulawesi is welcome, it is
deeply disturbing that those troops have already been reduced in number.
Jubilee Campaign reports that the tragic injustice remains of the desperate plight of
5,000 to 7,000 Christians who have been forced by Muslim militants to convert to
Islam in the Moluccas---in the Bacan islands, Buru and Seram. However, the
Indonesian Government have so far refused to evacuate the forced converts to a place
of safety where they can revert to practicing their Christian faith if they so wish.
To prevent further violence against Christian communities in the Moluccas, Sulawesi
and West Papua, I urge the Government to put strong pressure on Indonesia to
remove all Laskar Jihad members and all other non-local combatants from Sulawesi,
the Moluccas and West Papua and to prosecute the Laskar Jihad leader, Jafar. The
Indonesian Government should close down Laskar Jihad?s head office and ban the
organization. That would offer a more permanent and thorough solution.
It is important to note that it is not only Christians who want Laskar Jihad removed
form the Moluccas; many moderate Muslims, including the head of the council of
Muslim religious teachers, Abdul Wahab Polpoke, have similar views. They do not
agree with the violent and extreme interpretation of Islam that Laskar Jihad propagates
through intimidation and violence, and they realize that the Jihad wants to restrict the
freedom of moderate Muslims as well.
The British Government should pressure the Indonesian authorities to ensure pressure
that there are enough police and troops in the Moluccas and Sulawesi to enforce the
peace and to ensure that the security forces act neutrally. Jubilee Campaign reports
that on numerous occasions Indonesian police and troops have sided with Islamic
fighters against Christians, causing much bloodshed. The Indonesian authorities
should also be pressured to evacuate urgently to a place of safety all forced converts
form Christianity. The Indonesian Government should provide adequate funds, military
or police personnel and boats for the Moluccan church to carry out such evaluations.
Failure to evacuate the forced converts to Islam is to condemn them to a lifetime of
captivity and intimidation, and to give succour to Islamic death squads.
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