Monday, August 28, 2006

Indonesia halts execution of Christians

CosmosliturgysexBlog reports that the Christians accused of terrorism in Indonesia will not be executed (for now)....
But points out this little overlooked fact:
“One of the most amazing aspects of this case is that in attacks from 1998 to 2003, there were approximately 10,000 Christians murdered, 1,000 churches burned down and 80,000 homes burned down. In that orgy of violence directed against Christians, the only individuals the government chose to convict were these three [Christian] men. This is quite alarming especially considering all the indications that local and regional government officials aided and abetted these attacks against Christians.”

The attacks were by the “Laskar Jihad” who vowed to “to sweep ALL christians out of the area”...Sulawesi Island

This group was founded by LINK

Jafar Umar Thalib, who studied in Pakistan and fought with the mujahidin in Afghanistan in the late 1980s. Jafar admits to having met Osama bin Laden there but dismisses him saying the al Qaeda chief "knew nothing about true religion". ...Between May 2000 to December 2001 an estimated 10,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands had to flee their towns as Laskar Jihad burnt indigenous Melanesian Churches and communities in Ambon and other Moluccas islands as well as Christian communities in Sulawesi. A video of the group being welcome to Ambon by Indonesian authorities was later joined by allegations of murdered, torture, forced conversion to Islam, and forced circumcision. During 2001 and 2002 Laskar Jihad began to expand its activities sending militants to the provinces of Aceh and Papua, at opposite ends of the country.

Note: Papua is 78% Christian...and used to be called Dutch New Guinea...

Although the group after the Bali bombing in October 2002 announced it was disbanding, during 2003 it requested the Indonesian government provide office space in Papua. In May 2003 reports smuggled out of Papua claimed fire and machete had been used to destroy ten townships, their food gardens and live stock sending the surviving women and children into jungle hidding from Indonesian forces.

In case you are wondering what that is about, it's probably about the oil and gas...LINK
So the Indo gov't is supporting ethnic Indos to settle there...and this is stirring up a local independence movement...

And LINK says they get a lot of support from the Indo army and Islamic charities...

Video footage of an alleged Laskar Jihad training camp was broadcast in May 2005, and during June 2006 witness statements were gathered concerning three jihad training camps with 2500 troops allegedly training with TNI assistance near the PNG border.

Note: Melanesians and Papua...that means New Guinea...where people are not Indo/malaysian Muslims but black skined Melanesians who are largely Christian...racism, anyone?

LINK

The execution was a quid pro quo so the government would be seen as even handed when they executed the Bali Bombers...so now the execution of the bombers is also on hold...LINK

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