Posted on 12/07/2001 7:39:35 AM PST by Walkin Man
Friday December 7 8:19 AM ET
By DESSIANING SRI ARYANTI, Associated Press Writer
SANGGINRA, Indonesia (AP) - Thousands of Christians were hiding in jungle-clad mountains on Indonesia's Sulawesi island Friday after their villages were attacked and razed by Muslim militias.
Hundreds of homes were destroyed last month in the latest round of sectarian violence in the region - which has left about 1,000 people dead on both sides in the past two years.
In November, Muslim militants drove away security forces in the area then attacked at least three Christian villages in central Sulawesi, local residents said.
There were conflicting reports about the number of deaths in those attacks. Police could confirm only eight dead, but villagers said more were missing.
In one village, Sangginra, the burned-out ruins of hundreds of houses and a church are all that is left of the once-bustling market community. A few haggard-looking villagers returned to Sangginra Friday and searched through the remains of their homes.
``Many people cannot find their wives, husbands or children,'' said local priest Marson Movanti. ``We fled to the mountains and jungle when we heard bombs exploding and rifle fire.''
He said some of the attackers were members of a Muslim militia, Laskar Jihad, which is responsible for much of the religious fighting in the nearby Maluku islands. About 9,000 people have been killed in that conflict in the past three years.
Laskar Jihad leaders in the nearby town of Poso refused to comment on the allegations.
Movanti said many of the attackers were armed with automatic rifles.
Despite government assurances that the worst of the bloodshed was over, international aid agencies have evacuated their staff from the area and human rights activists say it is unlikely that the fighting will end.
On Thursday, security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono toured the region, about 1,000 miles northeast of Jakarta, and assured residents that the situation was under control. About 2,000 police and soldiers have been dispatched to the area.
Although Muslim gangs appear to be responsible for the latest outbreak of fighting, Christian militias have also killed hundreds of Muslims and forced thousands of others to flee their homes. In the bloodiest attack so far, about 100 Muslim villagers were massacred in May last year.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri has not publicly commented on the violence but is considering imposing a state of emergency in the region.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Nearly 85 percent of its 203 million people are Muslim. The rest are Christian, Hindu or Buddhist.
Meanwhile, in Aceh, another restive Indonesian province, at least five people including two rebels were killed Friday in a gunbattle with government troops, said Lt. Firdaus Komarno, a local military spokesman.
Rebels in the region have been fighting for independence of their gas- and oil-rich province since 1975. More than 6,000 people have been killed, including about 1,300 this years alone.
When Islam becomes the majority religion in a country, the rioting and killing starts and they drop the lie of living in peace with other faiths. Thats how Islam has always been spread, by fear and the sword.
The whole world has but after the wake-call of Sept 11 the blinders have come off of many people I think. We are seeing the "peaceful" followers of Mohammed as the Israelis have seen them for years; mad-dog killers.
They made Lebanon and Kosovo into sh**holes. Both were Christian nations 50 years ago. Now they are Muslim run.
Christians had one nation (Lebanon) they could call their own in the MidEast. But that was one too many, so Muslims proceeded to make Jihad against Lebanon.
Interesting wording.
Yes and they won't stop the jihad until the whole world is made to decend into an Islamic Dark Age.
no bias here folks. Muslim gangs "appear to be responsible" and Christians "have killed"
What a nitemare that would be! As soon as the muslim population in America reached 50% I bet the rioting, killing, and church burnings would start. All in the name of the "peaceful" prophet of course.
I wish reporters and world leaders would get with the program: these people aren't a "militia".
These people are TERRORISTS.
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