INDONESIA

02 June 2005

DOUBLE BOMBING OF CHRISTIAN TOWN IN INDONESIA; BARNABAS FUND LAUNCHES APPEAL TO HELP VICTIMS

Two bombs exploded in quick succession last Saturday in a crowded market place in Tentena, a small town with a mainly Christian population on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. At least 20 people were killed, of whom 19 were Christians. The twentieth is suspected to be the bomber.

The first bomb went off soon after 8:00 a.m. and, as people gathered at the scene to help, a much larger bomb exploded some minutes later, flattening many of the nearby food stalls. Among the dead were a church leader and a toddler. Estimates of the number injured range from 30 to 50, with some of them very seriously hurt. The second bomb was the most powerful blast in Indonesia since the Bali bombing in October 2002.

A week earlier, on Saturday 21st May, police had discovered an unexploded bomb outside a church in Tentena.

ESCALATING THE VIOLENCE

Tentena is in the Poso District of Central Sulawesi, a district which has already seen much anti-Christian violence, especially in the period 2000 – 2002 when an estimated 1,000 people were killed. At that time Tentena was a place where many Christians fled for refuge from other parts of Poso. Since a peace treaty signed in 2002 violence has continued at a lower level.

Although no one has claimed responsibility, Islamic militants are suspected of being behind the blasts. Church leaders have called for Christians not to retaliate.

CAN YOU HELP THE VICTIMS?

Barnabas Fund is appealing for donations to help the victims of the double bombing. Funds are needed for:

1. Medical costs of the injured, both in hospital and after they have returned home. 2. Helping rebuild or repair shops and market stalls. 3. Financial assistance for families whose bread-winner has been killed or is too badly injured to work.

You can make a donation through a Barnabas Fund office or via our website donation page [1]. Remember to specify Project 22-556.

PRAYER ITEMS

* Indonesian Christians ask for your prayers that anti-Christian violence in Poso will not escalate to the level of 2000-2.

* Pray for the bereaved, the injured and their loved ones that they will find strength and hope in the Lord.

* Pray that the security forces will be able to track down those who planned this attack, which was clearly designed to cause as much loss of life as possible.

* Pray that Christians in Tentena will have grace to forgive their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Pray that they will not retaliate in any way.

LINKS

Please use the following link below to donate online using our secure server. [1] – https://secure.barnabasfund.org

BARNABAS FUND E-MAIL NEWS SERVICE Barnabas Fund’s e-mail news service provides the media and our supporters with urgent news briefs concerning suffering Christians around the world.

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Further details, quotes and photos on this and other stories may be available for news editors on request.

Barnabas Fund works to support Christian communities mainly, but not exclusively, in the Islamic world where they are facing poverty and persecution.

Barnabas Fund, http://www.barnabasfund.org