Attacks on Christian villages force 13,000 to flee in Indonesia's Sulawesi

AFP via Yahoo! News ^ | Monday December 3, 4:29 PM | AFP

[Pericles]

Monday December 3, 4:29 PM

Attacks on Christian villages force 13,000 to flee in Indonesia's Sulawesi

Armed Muslim groups have burnt down six Christian villages in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province and forced some 13,000 people to flee.

The residents were evacuated to other villages or fled into the forest after Muslim groups attacked and razed the villages in the area around the town of Poso in Thursday, the Reverend Erna Makarensi told AFP from the provincial capital of Palu on Monday.

Reports have said at least seven people were killed in fighting over several days last week, including two of the attackers.

Four soldiers were wounded, two of them critically, during clashes between troops and the Muslim groups in the area on Saturday evening and early Sunday, a hospital nurse and police said.

Makarensi said she herself helped evacuate people from the villages.

"There were no security personnel in the area on the day of the attack and the evacuation was fully assisted by the churches," Makarensi said, adding that some 400 soldiers and police have since been deployed in the Poso area.

She said the villages of Betalemba, Patiwunga, Tangkura, Padalembara, Dewua and Sanginora had now been completely burnt down.

About 300 extra police -- including 200 from Jakarta -- were sent to the area on Friday and Saturday, a provincial police spokesman said.

Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agus Sugianto said the military sent two companies (about 200 men) from Gorontalo in North Sulawesi to Poso on Sunday.

A police officer at the Poso district office, Fa Aslin, said there had been no new clashes between troops and Muslim gangs since Sunday morning.

A nurse at the local hospital said one soldier was shot in the head and another in the stomach.

Poso has been the scene of almost two years of sectarian fighting between Muslims and Christians in which more than 300 people have died.

Michael Elmquist, deputy United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, said Tuesday that a recent mission to the province had found an "extremely tense" situation, with a "depth of hatred" between Christians and Muslims.

He said up to 7,000 members of Laskar Jihad -- a Java-based armed Islamic group which has waged a "jihad" (holy war) against Christians in the Malukus -- had moved to Poso to continue their battle.

Reports from the Vatican quoted the Bishop of Manado in North Sulawesi, Joseph Suwatan, as saying that as many as 50,000 Christians had fled their homes. He could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

The Koran Tempo daily said that among the refugees were 1,300 Balinese settlers in the villages which were attacked. They were taken to Tolai, another Balinese settlement in the neighbouring district of Donggala.

[Pericles]

How much did The Lippo Group pay for Clinton to ignore the killings of Christians in Indonesia? From the Balkans to the Pacific, Clinton looked away as jihad tore into many Christian communities. Looked away hell, Clinton got the US airforce to bomb some Christians and armed the Muslims.

[ambrose]

"Islam is a peaceful and loving religion."

[harpseal]

An Islam is peace bump

[Moleman]

Islam is a peaceful and tolerant religion.
{/bulls#!t)

[OK]

Another example of how Islam is able to become the only religion in a country; violence and intimidation.

[BibleBaseballBarbecue]

I'm sure that if the Indonesian Christians would just reexamine their foreign policy, especially their support for Israel, their Muslim neighbors would leave them alone.

[Khepera]

[Howlin]

Another example of how Islam is able to become the only religion in a country; violence and intimidation.

Coming to a country near you; next stop: Kuwait.

[Magician]

Some the hundreds of reporters covering Israel should go to Indonesia and show the world how "peace loving" Muslims slaughter Christians (as well as the Jews in Israel).

[Howlin]

ROFLMAO!

[.30Carbine]

"Across America pastors and Christian leaders are allowing representatives of the Islamic faith to freely speak in their pulpits. This happened at Willow Creek Community Chruch, the largest church in America, where a Muslim man named Faisal Hammouda was allowed to share the pulpit." ~quoted from this month's Voice of the Martyrs newsletter.

Someone needs to speak to Bill Hybels, I think.

[Cynderbean]

Aren't Nike shoes made almost exclusively in Indonesia?

....and no, I don't have a point.

[Recovering_Democrat]

The President of Indonesia sat with President Bush a few weeks ago, saying she supported our efforts against terrorism. Time for her to make good, and enforce the law against these murderers.

[Ol' Sparky]

These Islamic butchers have to systematically be eradicated from the face of the earth. Coward would be a good word for them. They can't take on governments and militaries. All they can do is attack innocent, unarmed people.

[Pericles]

How long till some hell fire Protestant groups take up the old call of "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" and start funding Christian self-defense leagues around the world?

[Travis McGee]

It's not easy to move significant quantity of arms to islands where the central govt forbids it.

The Laskar Jihadists are operating with Jakarta's approval, or they would be stopped.

Christians would only get significant arms if the CIA backed such a smuggling operation. Free lancers would not stand a chance.

[Tunehead54]

Another example of how Islam is able to become the only religion in a country; violence and intimidation.

Bump for a point well made!

[.30Carbine]

How long till some hell fire Protestant groups take up the old call of "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" and start funding Christian self-defense leagues around the world?

I didn't "fund" it, buddy, I founded it.

God bless.

[Rebelbase]

Sulawesi....Coffee, thats a big coffee producing area I beleive.

[Pericles]

God must have brought you to my attention. Tell me more in private.