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Jakarta, Indonesia
Violence between Indonesian Christians and Muslims spreads to islands


During the past two years, violence between Christians and Muslims has spread rapidly among the islands making up Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago.

Violent conflict between religious groups is relatively new to Indonesia. Although 90 per cent of Indonesians describe themselves as Muslim, the country has maintained religious tolerance for decades. However, in 1999, a dispute broke out between a Muslim and a Christian in Ambon, the provincial capital of the Moluccas, a group of about 1,000 eastern Indonesian islands. Over the past 18 months, 3,000 people have been killed in related fighting. Hostility has spread to a number of provinces, including Aceh and West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), which is one of the few regions with a Christian majority. Muslims are attacking Christian villages in the Moluccas and Sulawesi in what has been described as a jihad (holy war).

Indonesia is made up of 250 tribal languages, and is not united. Contributing to the violence are separatist movements and counter-independence militias sponsored by the Indonesian military. It is unclear whether Indonesia will become a pluralistic nation or a confederation of small states, each permitting a narrow cultural expression. Christians in Indonesia, who are in minority, favour pluralism. They are working with Muslims who are committed to nonviolence in finding ways so that the peoples of Indonesia can live peacefully together.

West Papua church faces inner conflict

In 1961, Irian Jaya declared independence from the Netherlands. Since 1963, the Indonesian government has controlled the province. Calls for independence have intensified since the fall of President Suharto in 1998. Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has agreed to change the name of Irian Jaya to the locally preferred West Papua, but has ruled out independence.

However, disagreements within society about independence are mirrored by disagreements within the church as well. Mennonite Central Committee is working with church leaders there pressured by supporters of different views on independence.

Church leaders in West Papua, Indonesia take part in a conflict communication training session facilitated by MCC worker Duane Ruth-Hoffelbower. MCC photo by Duane Ruth-Hoffelbower

Duane Ruth-Heffelbower, director of MCC peace programs in Indonesia, works in conflict transformation at the Duta Wacana Christian University Peace Centre. He and a team from the university provided training in conflict communication for 460 pastors of the GKI Synod in West Papua during the month of May in an effort to work out the divisions.

The GKI churches, which have historical ties to the Dutch Reformed Church, are a mixture of native Papuans and people from other ethnic backgrounds, in numbers similar to the makeup of the general population.

At the training sessions, participants learned a number of non-political ways to respond to the underlying needs for independence and how to build up the church in these difficult times.

Ruth-Heffelbower is scheduled to speak in Jakarta to 1,000 Indonesian pastors on how Christians can bring peace to Indonesia.

 – Maria Linder, Mennonite Central Committee

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Last modified August 12, 2000.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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