AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Wednesday December 12, 2001 7:28 PM
World Council of Churches urges Indonesia to end religious
strife
GENEVA, Dec 12 (AFP) - The World Council of Churches called on the Indonesian
government Wednesday to put an end to religious violence in central Sulawesi
province, which has left around 300 dead in the last two years and forced hundreds to
flee.
In a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, the WCC
said the Indonesian government should: "Pay serious attention to the sectarian
violence taking place in Sulawesi before it degenerates into another situation such as
that in the Malukas."
Inter-religious violence has caused the death of around 5,000 people on Indonesia's
Malukas islands since 1999.
Renewed violence broke out between Christians and Muslims in Central Sulawesi at
the end of November, when six churches and 600 houses were burnt to the ground in
Poso district.
At the start of December, 21 more villages and five churches were destroyed.
Christians in the area fled, mainly to nearby Tentena town, which the WCC says is
now encircled by Muslim militias.
Konrad Raiser, the general secretary of the WCC said in a letter to Robinson: "The
attacks resulting in the destruction and displacement of people were carried out by
the forces from the Laskar Jihad, that came largely from East Java.
"The groups were armed with rocket launchers, and automatic weapons. They have
presently surrounded Tentena, cutting off essential supplies to the region."
Raiser said Christian churches in Sulawesi had repeatedly called for protection from
the Indonesian government from Laskar Jihad attacks.
He said the government should: "ensure that perpetators responsible for the acts of
violence are brought to justice and further take necessary steps to disarm private
armed groups such as the Laskar Jihad."
The World Council of Churches represents 342 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox
churches.
Copyright © 2001 AFP. All rights reserved.
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