|
|
|
Irian Jaya Baptist Pastors Killed
|
Masariku
Network
July
3, 2003
|
Masariku Network, 03 July 2003
From: Pastor Yandi,
To: South Philadelphia Indonesian Baptist Church
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2003 11:11 AM
Subject: TNI brutal di Papua
Dear all,
Militer (TNI) masih brutal di Papua Barat (Irian Jaya).... You may forward the news to
make the cry of the Papuan people to reach the international community's ears; and
bring out (or shall we say pushing out) a good repsonse from Indonesian government.
Yandi
Irian Jaya Baptist Pastors Killed
Papua (Irian Jaya) is a former Dutch colony of Melanesian peoples on the western half
of the island of New Guinea. Today, over 90% of all indigenous Papuans are officially
reckoned as Christians. Papua was annexed by Indonesia in 1963. In December 2001
President Megawati Sukarnoputri signed a Special Autonomy law into effect. Church
leaders were involved in writing the law, but Papuans in the Organisasi Papua
Merdeka (OPM) or Free Papua Movement, continue their low-level resistance to
Indonesian rule, whilst the Papua Presidium Council seeks independence by peaceful
means. Muslim transmigration from Java, the growing presence of the Laskar Jihad,
and the February 2003 presidential decree to divide Papua into three provinces, all
threaten the integrity of Papua and the future of the predominantly Christian Papuan
people.
A complicating factor is the decree signed in 2000 which is supposed to take the
Indonesian military (TNI) out of the nation's politics and domestic security by 2004.
The TNI, though, is used to being extremely powerful and their unhappiness with this
prospect is behind much of the strife in Eastern Indonesia. They claim they should
control domestic security because of the 'serious problem of separatism'. Many
people fear that the Indonesian military and the Laskar Jihad are looking for
opportunities to unleash terror on the Papuans. The TNI is seeking self- glorification
and justification for its presence in domestic security, and the Laskar Jihad is keen to
cement Papua as Muslim territory.
On 4 April 2003, 15 unidentified men raided a military post in Wamena in the Central
Highlands of Papua, causing three deaths. Of the 29 rifles stolen, 19 were soon
recovered. The TNI were questioned over the raid as it was clear there was military
collusion, and nine soldiers have been arrested. However, the TNI sent hundreds of
combat soldiers (including 144 Kopassus - Special Forces) to Wamena, ostensibly to
hunt down the culprits. In this resulting crackdown, the military destroyed many
houses and at least 11 churches, mostly with flamethrowers. The human rights group
Elsham said there were over 50 instances of the TNI, whenever they found a Bible,
burning it in contempt.
At least 15 Papuans have been killed with some horrifically tortured to death.
Amongst the dead are Baptist pastors Kutis Tabuli (41) and his brother Engellek
Tabuli (57), who was the district church leader. The TNI have intimidated and tortured
many villagers around Wamena. Their possessions and livestock have been stolen
and their schools, clinics and churches burnt down. Hundreds have fled into the
jungle. The bodies of villagers who starved to death while hiding there have also been
found.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:
* the gross, violent abuses of human rights by the Indonesian military to be stopped
and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice, sending a clear message across
Papua and all Indonesia.
'God's voice thunders in marvellous ways; he does great things beyond our
understanding.' Job 37:5
* the cry of the Papuan people to reach the ears of the international community, so
that international pressure, to which Indonesia responds, will bring them peace,
justice and security.
* strong, wise Christian leadership in this time of grief, fear and anxiety about Papua's
future.
* frightened, confused Christians, that the Tempter (1 Thess 3:5) will not triumph over
them, but rather that their faith will hold fast and even grow. (World Evangelical
Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Prayer List)
|
