[CAMN] Indonesian Christians Fear Imminent Attacks

Christian Aid Mission News

July 11, 2002

Indonesian Christians Fear Imminent Attacks

(CAMN) Christian Aid Mission learned today that police searches in the village of Garua near Tobelo, a predominantly Christian city in North Maluku Province, reveal that Muslims are caching arms and munitions and a renewed attack against Christians in the region is feared. According to Christian Aid’s contact in the region, police searches on July 9 disclosed weapons, bombs, grenades or rifles in every home in the Muslim sector of the community. None were found in the Christian community.

Weapons seized were: 4 military grenades 28 homemade rifles with 400 bullets 1 M-16 attack weapon with 135 bullets 10 M-16.4 weapons 2 12.7 military heavy-duty weapons with 98 bullets 3 SS1 military attack weapons complete with bullets 1 7.62 Gereng with 169 bullets 21 homemade bombs 73 detonators

Police arrested three Muslims from Ternate Island, who are still being held. The same day the East Java military unit Brawijaya 512 moved into Garua to secure the area. Three days later the town of Garua had become the launching site for a renewed jihad attack against the Christian community.

At 6 a.m. on July 11 attackers came simultaneously from the east and west, setting off bombs, shooting, and crying out, “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great” in Arabic). The attack destroyed five homes and severely damaged three others in Garua. One refugee barrack was destroyed, two kiosks were damaged, and a number of other places were looted before the police and military from Tobelo were able to squash the attack. One observer said the Brawijaya 512 just watched. After the attack was quelled, police and military from Tobelo conducted a new search and discovered that in just three days the Muslim residents had been able to rearm themselves.

The new cache of arms discovered today included: 5 military standard rifles 1 air rifle 33 bombs ready to be detonated 3 pistols 3 12.7’s with 104 bullets 6 military grenades 1 M-16 with 32 bullets

Late afternoon reports stated that 20 fishing vessels carrying jihad fighters had been sighted traveling north along the coast of Halmahera Island towards Tobelo, prompting a state of high alert.

It was reported that the Barwijaya 512 had detained 13 jihad fighters. Although the situation was said to be under control, an atmosphere of tension pervaded the city and Christians feared a renewed attack on Tobelo was imminent.

Though vicious attacks by the Laskar Jihad on Christians in Central Sulawesi were thwarted by the arrival of the Indonesia military in December, that area also has seen heightened tensions in recent weeks. In early June, a bus carrying 45 Christians in Central Sulawesi was bombed, killing four, including a pastor in charge of building temporary housing for Christian refugees, and injuring 17 others.

On July 3, a Christian man was shot in the same village. When he was transported to a major hospital in Poso, his Christian family was told they could not go with him because of the presence of the Laskar Jihad in Poso. It is regrettable that authorities cannot guarantee safety of its own citizens. The man died apart from his family three days later.

A local Christian commented, “Seeing all of these [things], I would say that Christians in Central Sulawesi ­-particularly Tentena and its surroundings ­-are now the target to be attacked from all directions. It just waits for the right timing.”

John Lindner, Senior News Editor

website http://www.christianaid.org