Bomb attack on a Catholic Church in Makassar (February 10th) - Religious freedom in Indonesia is in danger

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns about a further erosion of religious freedom in Indonesia. "In Indonesia, the Christians, Shiites, Ahmadiyyah and Buddhists become victims of attacks by religious extremists more and more often," said the STP's expert on questions regarding Asia, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Sunday. "We expect the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guido Westerwelle, to advocate for the protection of religious minorities during his visit to Indonesia. The Indonesian authorities must urgently do more for the safety of the non-Sunni communities, or there will be an exodus of these religious minorities."

"This Sunday was a black day for the Christians in Indonesia", said Delius. "Once more, a church was set on fire by Sunni extremists – to spread fear among the Christians. This Sunday, an arson attack was committed on a Catholic Church in the district of Makassar (Sulawesi). The facade of the Jordanian Toraja Mamasa Congregation Church (Panakukkang, Makassar) went up in flames on Sunday morning, after three suspected religious extremists had thrown a firebomb at the facade.

"Germany's interest in sustaining economic and political relations with Indonesia should not cause discussions about critical issues – such as a lack of protection for other faiths – to be left out during Westerwelle's visit," demanded Delius. "Indonesia sees itself as the largest democracy in south-eastern Asia – and must therefore be judged by its own standards. It is a contradiction of international human rights conventions and also of Indonesian law, if Christian churches in the province of Aceh are closed arbitrarily and if Shiites and Ahmadiyyah are hunted down in the streets."

About 15,000 Christians in Aceh aren't able to practice their faith in a house of worship, because 17 churches were closed down by the local authorities after massive pressure by religious extremists. The authorities on Java Island are urging the Shiite communities to convert, claiming that their property could not be protected otherwise. On the island of Madura, 35 houses inhabited by Shiites were burned down by Sunni extremists in August 2012. Also, the island's police forces did not intervene when a boarding school and a Shiite religious site were vandalized on December 29, 2012.