Look who's talking .....:)
----------------
>From: Irwan Ariston Napitupulu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: Indonesian Students in the US <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: FWD: Pernyataan dari PGI atas kasus Maluku
>Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 10:44:04 EST
>
>STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE COMMUNION OF CHURCHES IN INDONESIA ON
>THE ATTACKS AND CONFLICTS WHICH BROKE OUT
> AGAIN IN THE MOLLUCAS/NORTH MOLUCCAS IN
>DECEMBER 1999
>
> The Executive Board of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia with
>deeply-felt concern noted that:
>
> After the visit of the President and Vice President, to this
>region
>conflicts struck again in the past three weeks. We noted, since the second
>to
>the third week
> of December 1999 there had been large scale attacks to Christian
>villages/congregations and destroying/burning of churches in Namlea, the
>capital of the
> North Buru subdistrict and the surrounding area which resulted in
>a
>wave of evacuation of Christians out of the subdistrict. Apart from that in
>waters
> between the island of Ambon and the islands of Lease motor boats
>from
>the village of Kamarian, the island of Seram have been attacked with gun
>fires
> and conflicts around the village of Rumahtiga, Ambon. Since 26
>December 1999 until today, conflicts struck out in the city of Ambon,
>followed with the
> burning down of the Silo Church in the center of the city. While
>in
>Tobelo, the capital of the subdistrict of Tobelo, the conflicts have
>resulted
>in the fall of
> unnecessary victims. Based on these facts, the CCI Executive
>Aboard
>states that:
>
> 1.The Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police who are accountable
>for
>the security together with the Central Government and the Local Government
> should explain what really are behind the bloody incidents
>since
>the second week of December until today.
> 2.Essentially the statement of President Gus Dur on his visit
>to
>Ambon that the people themselves should solve their own problems have given
>a
> number of broad implications. Firstly, the statement on the
>one
>hand expresses the President's acknowledgement of the authority of the
>people
> in solving emerging problems, but on the other hand burdening
>the people with matters which are beyond their responsibilities. We all
>know
>that
> all efforts to stop individual and collective violence should
>first come from the Indonesian Military/Police which they already did in
>welcoming the
> President and Vice President visit to the Moluccas. Secondly,
>the statement could be used by the Military/Policy persons or elements to
>protect
> themselves from accountabilities for their bad handling of
>security and which resulted in the killing and injuring thousands of
>victims
>during the
> riots and tens of thousands of families have left their homes
>to
>get security protection. Thirdly, large-scale attacks on the subdistrict of
>North Buru
> and the city of Ambon during the time after the visit of the
>President/Vice President have caused deep frustration and recurrence of
>degradation
> in the trust of the people to the Government and especially
>to
>the Military/Police. Therefore all parties are called out not to misuse the
> President's expression for self-interest concerns but to
>place
>it in the context of the cessation of violent actions which is very urgent
>at
>this time.
> 3.The occurrence of large-scale attacks where the targets are
>Christian congregations are direct consequences of the fact that the
>handling
>over the
> whole incidents of riots in several places in the Moluccas by
>the Military/Police are not transparent, and the veil of the cause of the
>mass conflicts
> in the city of Ambon and its surrounding areas on January 19,
>1999 and the riots in North Moluccas especially in Ternate and Tidore in
> November 1999 are still uncovered. This shows that there is
>some
>kind of a scenario in perpetuating conflicts by allowing opinion on certain
>party
> as victim widely develops and automatically justifying
>revengeful actions by one group to the other. Therefore we view the
>Military/Police should
> be accountable to the people for the breaking out of
>conflicts
>and the widespread of conflicts that are still occurring until now
>accountability is not
> undertaken, then, taking into consideration the facts of the
>continuing violence (more than eleven months), we heed the people strong
>feelings
> that it would be best if the Military and Police forces were
>pulled out of the Mollucas region and replaced with international
>peacekeepers.
> 4.This latest situation bring us to a conclusion that what is
>mentioned as an indication of an extermination of the indigenous people in
>the province
> of Moluccas/North Moluccas should be given serious attention
>by
>the Government. We consider this conflict which has been given a religious
> label as a step to exterminate the Moluccas indigenous people
>together with their social-cultural institution, and be replaced with
>another
>form of
> society which we could not imagine yet right now.
> 5.Its is indeed misleading to place all the blames of this
>tragedy
>only to the people. Therefore we ask leaders and all members of the Church
>in
> Mollucas/North Moluccas to continue to strengthen and guard
>Christians in facing this severe challenge. May this message of the birth
>of
>Jesus
> Christ the King of Peace we are celebrating give strength and
>light in this darkness of time we are going through.
>
> Jakarta, 27th December 1999
>
> On behalf of
> The Executive Board of CCI
>
> Rev Dr Sularso Sopater
> General Chairman
>
> Rev Dr J.M. Pattiasina
> General Secretary
______________________________________________________
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