Central Sulawesi Maps

Maps of Central Sulawesi, central Celebes, including Poso.

Firefox users may need to click the maps to see the full size.

Map of the Regencies & Cities of Central Sulawesi.

Map of the regencies of Poso and Tojo Unauna, and their subdivisions.

North Sulawesi

Muslims and Christians get along just fine in North Sulawesi.

Vice president Jusuf Kalla said in Manado on 17th October that the province of North Sulawesi was a model of religious harmony. Even though neighbouring Central Sulawesi had been torn by sectarian conflict in recent years North Sulawesi offered a model for the nation.

People in other areas need to learn from North Sulawesi, because there is a very high level of …

Comment by Moi: … of the neighboring central Sulawesi and Maluku. …

South East Sulawesi

South East Sulawesi is a model of religious harmony.

The province of South East Sulawesi rarely crops up in our reports here and this may be, as head of the Center for Research and Development at the Religious Affairs department, Atho Mudzhar, says, because South East Sulawesi has very good relations between religious groups. Speaking in Kendari on the 2nd of April Mudzhar said that sectarian …

Comment by Mr.wrong: South East Sulawesi is a model of religious …

Sulawesi Provinces Map

A map of the provinces of Sulawesi.

Sulawesi, formerly known as the Celebes, is divided into six provinces:
Gorontalo
West Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi
Southeast Sulawesi
North Sulawesi

Sulawesi Provinces Map.

Terrorism in Sulawesi & Ambon

Origins of terrorism in Sulawesi and Ambon.

It is widely believed that some or a large part of the violence inflicted by militant Muslim groups in Indonesia is done so with the connivance or active support of elements of the military. In a response to a question on this topic terror expert Sidney Jones says:

Certain local NGOs (non-government organizations) sometimes assert that corrupt politicians may be …

South Sulawesi Election

Both Islamic militants and Golkar lose in the South Sulawesi election.

The results for the South Sulawesi Governor's election:

Syahrul Yasin Limpo - 39.5%
Amin Syam - 38.7%
Abdul Aziz Kahar Mudzakkar - 21.7%

Syahrul Yasin Limpo, with about 1.4 million votes, was declared the South Sulawesi governor-elect on 15th November after the General Elections Commission (KPUD) finished its vote count.

Syahrul is the current …

Comment by agam: … someone from South Sulawesi here) the quality is not as …

Central Java

Central Java as the hotbed of Islamic radicalism and terror groups.

In speaking of the recent arrests of a number of Islamic militants in or near Yogyakarta, central Java, men who are believed connected with militant leader Abu Dujana, the head of the Badan Intelijen Nasional (BIN), Hendropriyono, said that the province of Central Java, including the special area of Yogyakarta, is the …

Comment by guebukanmonyet: … if we say that central Java is the center of terrorism …

Koran Reading Ability In South Sulawesi

The provincial government of South Sulawesi has decided that ability to read the Koran is a must for Muslim citizens.

The chairman of the local parliament, Agus Arifin Nu'mang, declared yesterday that all parties in the legislature had agreed on the new ruling.

The lieutenant governor of Sulawesi Selatan, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, explained that knowledge of the Koran was sorely lacking among large elements of the …

Islamic Banking System

… Damai Sejahtera (PDS), a Protestant/Evangelical party.

Retna Rosmanita Situmorang of the PDS (Central Sulawesi) says the sharia banking bill is not needed as there are already provisions for sharia rules in the Banking Act (UU Perbankan) of 1992 as revised in 1998.

Retna Rosmanita Situmorang

She said additionally that no national laws should be made that applied only to single groups of people based on religion, as this would result in a dual legal system, one system for Muslims …

Bashir on Martyrs & Maggots

Some of Abu Bakar Bashir's village musings have Australians upset.

An Australian student, Nathan Franklin, who is researching Islamic boarding schools in East Java, is said to have filmed a speech/sermon given by Abu Bakar Bashir on October 22nd 2007, in which the cleric rails against "infidel" tourists in Indonesia.

Toothy.

The story is all over the Australian media, and to a …

Comment by HItam TApi CIna: … of Indonesia like Central Sulawesi and the Mollucas …

Communist Victory

… and ethnic rebellions in Aceh, Makassar, West Java, Bali, Madura, and many parts of Central Java, where a Maoist state in Jakarta radicalizes even some Nahdlatul Ulama. Factions of the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) side with the rebels. Aidit vows he will fight to his death to bring about the "Will of the People" in Indonesia. Civil war ensues. Jakarta proves unable to retain control over much of Sumatra and Sulawesi. Kalimantan secedes, as does Papua. Java left to …

Comment by Pak Rachmat (PNS): … Thus, in terms of Central Planning, pemri consistently …

Terror Threat

Whether Jemaah Islamiyah is a terrorist organisation, and the current situation in Central Sulawesi.

JI

Nasir Abbas, former Al Jamaah Al Islamiyah (JI) leader turned police informer, gave testimony at the trial of Abu Dujana in Jakarta on 21st January and said that JI had never taught its members to commit acts of random violence, or terrorism, and especially not murder.

Any terrorist acts that had been committed were done by renegade members, such as …

Current Minimum Wage

… 972,604

Banten - 837,000

    Tangerang - 953,850

    Cilegon - 971,400

Central Java - 547,000

Yogyakarta - 586,000

East Java

    Surabaya - 805,500

    Sidoarjo - 802,000

Bali

    Badung - 805,000

    Denpasar - 800,000

    Gianyar - 760,000

    Jembrana - 737,500

    Karangasem - 712,320

    Klungkung - 686,000

    Bangli - 685,000

    Tabanan - 685,000

    …

Comment by GJ: Seems Central Java areas are substancially …

Bahai

Muslims converting to Bahai.

Thirty-one Muslims in the Donggala area of Central Sulawesi have become apostates and converted to the Bahá'í religion, it is said, inviting the anger of their neighbours who are sticking firm to Islam, and the displeasure of the local bureaucracy.

The head of the Religious Affairs Office in Palolo sub-district said that the Bahai faith, led by one Mulahi, a former marriage counsellor, entered Banpers village in the 1990s, and …

Comment by Cukurungan: … and they are not a central figure like Pope in Catholic …

Religious Laws

… the local laws based on Islam in some parts of the country (perhaps like in Padang and South Sulawesi ) were merely political plays, that they used religion as a cover for political ends and did not reflect the substance, spirit or values of Islam.

Anas Urbaningrum.

Anas described this as "political identity" gone out of control and said that if such laws employed the spirit of Islam, rather than simply using the religion as a cloak, then there would be no problem as they would …

Learning Islam

… the country and allowed colonialists a foot in the door. The violence that had occurred in Central Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and West Kalimantan should serve as motivation for Indonesian Muslims to learn what Islam was really about, she said. mediaindo

Comment by dawud farquhar: … Christian in Sulawesi citing global ‘jihad’ …

Javanese Terrorists

… Javanese are often not known for their strictness in religion as much as people from Sumatra and Sulawesi are.

Azyumardi Azra.

With the rise of terrorist bombing campaigns in Indonesia since the first Bali bombings in 2002, through to the Kuningan Australian embassy attack, the Marriot Hotel bombing, and the innumerable attacks in Poso, Central Sulawesi over recent years, most had been committed by Javanese men, he said.

Ethnic boundaries of Java island. (Click for full …

Comment by DoOs: … Java is the central of Indonesia. Java is the most …

Dying Languages

… of Indonesia.

Prof. Dr. Zainuddin Taha of the Universitas Negeri Makassar (UNM) in South Sulawesi says 50% of the world's 5000 languages are threatened with extinction in the 21st century, and that currently two languages die out every week.

Taha, who is an expert on the Soppeng dialect of Buginese in South Sulawesi, says the situation in Indonesia is becoming critical, with now not only minor native languages with few speakers such as the various Dayak languages under threat …

Abu Irsyad, Zarkarsih

… the "Amir" (highest leader) of JI in Indonesia and the operational commander for the Poso area of Central Sulawesi.

Abu Irsyad or Zarkarsih, in a police video.

The 45 year old, born in 1962 in Pekalongan, Central Java, was appointed emergency head of JI during a meeting of high ranking JI leaders in 2005, after his predecessor, Andung/Adung, was arrested in Solo/Surakarta in June 2004.

In his videotaped confession aired on 15th June, Zarkasih explained that Abu Bakar Bashir was …

Walisongo Massacre

… seventh anniversary of the attack on Sintuwu Lemba village, otherwise called Kilo Nine, in Poso, Central Sulawesi hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Al Azhar mosque in Jakarta on May 28th 2007 and called on the government to improve the situation of refugees and victims of the 1998-2001 war and to rebuild the Wali Songo Muslim boarding school, which was destroyed in the attack at Kilo Nine in 2000.

On May 28th 2000 a Christian militia (which some believe was led by Catholic plantation …

Violent Video

… is an old, heavily edited, video clip showing some of the violence during the Central Sulawesi war of 1998-2001. It is said to contain extreme and graphic violence, - your scribe can't say for sure as he is squeamish and has only watched the first 30 seconds.

Some background for those who don't know of the events in question.

Suharto's resignation as Indonesia's President in 1998, and the consequent confusion and weakening of the central power in Jakarta, is often …

Comment by Jenny: … from Poso or Central Sulawesi at all. Obviously a …

Christianisation

Christianisation through sodomy, hypnosis, and kidnapping is rampant in Indonesia.

It is often heard that Indonesia is subject to a process of Christianisation, one example being an old article by one Herry Nurdi in Sabili magazine - "Alert! Christianization is Attacking Campuses" (ALERT! KRISTENISASI MENYERBU KAMPUS), the word "attack" having the sense of "in great numbers" or "stampede", …

Comment by Dragonwall: … lured to Plaza Central where it was thought someone …

Christian Terrorists

… offences.

The trials of twelve Christian men accused of murdering two Muslims near Poso, Central Sulawesi, have begun at the South Jakarta District Court. The men are charged under both the 2002 Anti-Terrorism law and articles in the criminal code, and face the death penalty if convicted.

The defendants are Harpri Tumonggi alias Api (28), Darman Aja alias Panye (23), Edwin Poima alias Epin (25), Agus Chandra alias Anda (23), Syaiful Ibrahim alias Ipul (22), Erosman Tioki alias …

Beheadings Trial

… Hasanuddin has been sentenced to 20 years.

November 10th, 2006.

Prosecutors at the Central Jakarta District Court allege that Hasanuddin, alias Hasan, alias Slamet Raharjo, who is Javanese, planned the beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls in 2005 as a way of avenging the murder of Muslims during the sectarian conflict in Central Sulawesi province between 1998 and 2002.

Prosecutor Payaman said:

The defendant planned or provoked others to commit violent acts aimed …

Abu Dujana

… was one Mujadid alias Brekele, who is implicated in the Tentena market bombing of May 2005 in Central Sulawesi. mediaindo

From information gathered from the captured men a home in nearby Sukoharjo was raided later by police. The home belongs to one Sikas, 36 years old, a farm labourer and one of the heads of the local Al-Kautsar mosque.

In Sikas' home was found 2,009 bullets, mainly for an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, a homemade rifle, 200 active detonators, 625kg of potassium 20kg of …

Division of Poso

… came from a majority of residents in Poso City and Poso Pesisir districts.

The Poso regency and Central Sulawesi administrations have voiced support for the plan. Poso Regent Piet Inkiriwang said that he had hosted the announcement of the declaration at his own home as a sign of approval.

I also assigned several officials to attend the declaration. This is a show of the administration's support.

He said according to the plan, Poso mayoralty would comprise Poso City, South Poso …

Densus 88

… 5000, because, he says, 3000 Muslims have been killed in Bali (Antara) Ambon and 2000 in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

Speaking at a seminar in Jakarta on 4th called "Does there need to be a revolution to impose Islamic law in Indonesia?" Bashir reiterated his earlier calls for Densus 88 to not just be withdrawn from Poso but disbanded.

Baasyir went on to complain that whenever Muslims defended themselves from attack they were labelled as terrorists, and …

Comment by Kenichi Takoyaki: … is becoming the central international issue today as a …

Basri

… who was caught by police recently.

On the 1st of February Mobile Brigade police in Poso, Central Sulawesi, raided a house in the Kayamanya area of Poso town and captured Basri alias Bagong, 30 years old, and another man, Ardin Lawanga/Djanatu alias Rojak), 35 years old. Basri did not resist arrest but Ardin did and was shot in the stomach by police. He is being treated at Bhayangkara hospital in Poso. Both men were on the "DPO", the list of the most wanted terrorists in the …

Jihad Sin

Modern day jihadists are sinful, says a Central Sulawesi cleric.

Zainuddin Ali, the head of the Central Sulawesi branch of the Clerics' Council, (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI), said on the 31st in Palu during a meeting with police that the concept of jihad as found in the Koran was no longer entirely relevant today.

In the time of Muhammad there were many infidels who waged war against Islam. But today it's difficult, there …

Laskar Jihad

Dozens of former Laskar Jihad members are heading to Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Scores of former Laskar Jihad members left Surabaya, East Java, on the 29th en route to Makassar, South Sulawesi, and thereafter with the intention to head to Poso, Central Sulawesi.

The Laskar Jihad, or Holy War Force, was a paramilitary organisation formed in 2000, some believe with the backing of elements of the Indonesian military, which has in the past waged "holy …

Comment by Robert: … have relatives on Sulawesi, and go there for protection. …

Poso Fighting

… and the police Mobile Brigade, have been in a number of firefights with Muslim militants in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso beginning from the morning of the 22nd and centred on the Tanah Runtuh district.

It is believed 1 policeman (Roni Iskandar, Brimob) and 13 other people, at least some of them militants have been killed. antara 6 other policemen have been wounded. 25 men have been arrested, some of them on the "DPO", the list of the 29 most wanted men in Central Sulawesi, men …

Islamic New Year

… Indonesia, like in Jakarta and Bali, in the past, and sectarian fighting in several regions, like Central Sulawesi and the Moluccas, and to the existence of extremist groups, Hasyim urged Muslims to adopt a moderate form of the faith to help strengthen the country.

Similarly Din said the two organizations planned to increase cooperation to help improve social welfare services for the people. The organizations would also increase communication with other religious communities to help the …

Poso Jihad

Police are focusing on the role of Muslim clerics in the continuing strife in Central Sulawesi.

Poso of late has again been the scene of some violence. Mobile Brigade and Densus 88 (anti-terror squad) police in Central Sulawesi on January 11th raided the home of one of 29 Islamic militants suspected of having carried attacks on Christians going back to 1998. Those in the home fought back with guns and crude bombs and one suspect, Dedi Parsan, was killed in the …

US Interference in Poso

… that as long as America continued to pursue its nefarious agenda of creating sectarian strife in Central Sulawesi there would not be peace.

He said that the troubles in Poso between Christians and Muslims were provoked by America in order to ensure that Indonesia remained weak and divided and hence reliant on America. While he supported government efforts to end the fighting and bring to justice the main troublemakers he said it was difficult for the Indonesian government to be able to do …

Comment by Riccardo: … like Celebes (sulawesi). If they truly wanted to …

World Bank on Poverty

… sewerage services.

Areas with the highest rates of poverty are Papua, Maluku, NTT, NTB, Central Java, Aceh, South Sumatra, Lampung, Bengkulu, Central Sulawesi, South East Sulawesi, and Gorontalo.

Provinces with the lowest poverty are Jakarta, Bali, Riau, Banten, North Sulawesi, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. worldbank

March 23rd 2007.

Professor Tresna P. Soemardi of the Management Faculty of the University of Indonesia says if the standard of less than …

Terrorist Resurgence

… worries that ex-terrorists may return to their violent ways, and that Arabs are operating in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Hendro Priyono, the former head of the Badan Intelejen Negara (BIN), said on the 30th that any threat to the national integrity and unity of Indonesia was most likely to originate from Poso because in that troubled area could be found not only terrorism but also militant training centres which had been set up with the help of foreigners, specifically from the Middle East, …

Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama

… party as a replacement for the PKB.

It appears that most of the important clerics in East and Central Java have decided to throw in their lot with the new party, abandoning the PKB.

The party is expected to have completed all the legal requirements for party status by January of 2007. antara

Meanwhile in Jakarta vice president Jusuf Kalla re-iterated his earlier call for a "rationalisation" of parties, i.e. a reduction in their number. mediaindo Not yet, it …

Poso 29

The cases of the twenty-nine wanted Muslim extremists in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

One of the twenty-nine men sought by police in Poso is in custody. Andi Lalu, or Andi Lolu, or Andi Bocor, take your pick, gave himself up to police in Mapane, Poso Pesisir, Central Sulawesi on the 14th. He was straightaway taken to Palu, the provincial capital.

Andi is accused of being involved in shootings in Landangan, Poso Pesisir, 29th September …

Illiterate Javanese

… according to the Department of Education. Broken down by provinces: East Java, 4.6 million
Central Java, 3.2 million
West Java & Banten, 3 milllion

Outside of Java those provinces worst affected by illiteracy are West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, South Sulawesi and West Kalimantan.

Sudjarwo Singowidjojo, the Director of People's Education at the Directorate General of External School Education, says the Javanese are hindered by the fact that many of them …

Tibo Case to ICJ

… executed on September 22nd for being involved in murders of Muslims during sectarian conflict in Central Sulawesi in 2001.

A spokesman for Tibo's family, who live in Ende, Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Yustinus Sani, said that after the traditional 40 day mourning period was over, it had been decided on November 2nd to take the case of Tibo to the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands, as well as the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations in Geneva, …

Comment by Yole: … real to folk in Central Sulawesi. It is said that …

Tanah Runtuh Marches

… of Tanah Runtuh in Poso march to demand the withdrawal of outside police units from Poso, Central Sulawesi.

On the 30th a large rally of up to 4000 Muslims took place, organised by the Forum Silaturahmi Perjuangan Umat Islam Poso, and held to demand the withdrawal of police Mobile Brigade units (BKO) from Poso, and the withdrawal of four police generals and the disbanding of the fact-finding team of which they lead (Tim Pencari Fakta (TPF)). There was one report of shooting …

Causes of Poso Strife

… of fighting, and periodic bombings and murders, which have plagued the religiously divided area of Central Sulawesi since the signing of a peace agreement in December 2001, a peace agreement brokered by the current vice-president of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, are not the result of sectarian or inter-communal hatreds between the common people of both faith groups, but rather are a conflict between terrorists and the people.

George Junus Aditjondro.

He says that although the current …

Shootouts in Poso

One civilian was killed in Poso, central Sulawesi, after fighting broke out between police and groups of Muslims.

Five regular police officers and one Mobile Brigade officer were carrying out an operation in the Gebang Rejo district of Poso, a mainly Muslim area, on 22nd October at 21.15, and were attacked by a number of men, who fired guns and threw homemade bombs and stones at them. Police sources say that the …

International Conferences & Conventions

… exhibitions (MICE), they being:
Jakarta (western Java) Bandung (West Java)
Yogyakarta (central Java)
Surabaya (East Java) Bali Manado (North Sulawesi)
Makassar (South Sulawesi) Batam (Riau)
Medan (North Sumatra) Bukittinggi (West Sumatra)

In order to qualify as an international conference ready city emphasis is placed on the quality of "human resources", particularly in the availability of trained people in the areas of public relations, marketing, …

Rev. Irianto Kongkoli

Reverend Irianto Kongkoli, murdered in Palu, Sulawesi, on Monday, was buried today.

Reverend Kongkoli, the head of the Protestant Gereja Kristen Sulawesi Tengah (GKST) synod, was shot in the back of the head in Palu on the 16th as he, his wife, and and their four-year old daughter Gea, were shopping for ceramic tiles at Sinar Sakti construction materials shop on Jalan Mongonsidi. He was buried today, the 18th, at the Talise cemetery …

Human Trafficking

… Tuloli, a parliamentary representative from Gorontalo named the twelve as West Java, East Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, North Sumatera, South Sumatera, Riau, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). He said established syndicates operated in these areas providing for both foreign and local buyers.

Tuloli claimed that the problem has gradually gotten worse. Previously established trafficking networks operated only in …

Ahmad Dhani of Dewa

… whose members wrought much misery and death upon Indonesian Christians in the civil wars of central Sulawesi and the Malukus in the late 1990's and early 2000's.

Radical Islamic groups took a dim view of Ahmad Dhani and he and his family went into hiding in 2005. However by the end of the year the band had produced a new album, "Republik Cinta" (Republic of Love), this time with a song entitled "Laskar Cinta" (the previous album of the same name did not have a title track), in which …

Freedom of Religion Report

… and vigilante acts in Maluku and North Maluku declined significantly, although, as in past years, Central Sulawesi experienced sporadic bombings, shootings, and other violence despite efforts to restore security and promote reconciliation. Government officials worked with Muslim and Christian community leaders to diffuse tensions in conflict areas, particularly in Central Sulawesi and the Moluccas. While Aceh remained the only province authorized to implement Islamic law, or Shari'a, …

Poso Violence

Poso in central Sulawesi has been wracked by civil disturbances and bombs the last few days.

In the wake of the execution of the three Christian men, Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva, and Marinus Riwu, last week a number of violent incidents and bombings have taken place. These acts of "provocation" seem to be succeeding in stirring up sectarian passions among ordinary people.

The …

Last Insults for Tibo et al.

… Merdeka in Palu writes :

"This is the largest deployment of troops in the history of Central Sulawesi." So a police commander in Palu told me, in the wake of the execution of Fabianus Tibo, Marinus Riwu, and Dominggus da Silva last night. Nearly 5,000 police personnel have been stationed in Palu, the capital of the province, in the troublesome district of Poso, and neighboring Morowali, where the three farmers from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, had migrated to work at the oil …

Atambua Protests

… and 190 inmates were thereby able to escape. Another 15 decided to stay put.

Meanwhile in Sulawesi some roads in and around the Christian town of Tentena, near Poso, were blocked by protestors who set old car tyres alight. People also occupied the main police station in the town. This apparently began at 06.30. Cars coming along the road were stopped by protestors but usually allowed to pass. At some point during the day the demonstrators were addressed by pastor Renaldy Damanik …

Tibo, et al. Execution

… was held to discuss the planned carrying out of the death sentences for the three men in which Central Sulawesi police chief Badruddin Haiti, TNI general Arief Sampurno, regional attorney general Hamzah Tadjah, and Central Sulawesi governor Bandjela Paliudju attended. They also discussed security measures for the event.

Major General Arief Budi Sampurno said , at the meeting, that his men were prepared to provide back-up for the police should the security situation get out of hand. …

Comment by Marsel: … and discuss). For Sulawesi, be at peace! Let nobody …

British Investment

… permits, says British ambassador to Indonesia Charles Humfrey.

Speaking to the South Sulawesi Governor Amin Syam on the 29th Humfrey said mediaindo that long bureaucratic delays put off investors, who had to first contact the finance ministry, then the central investment board, other relevant ministries, and finally the governors or district heads of areas where the investment was intended to be made.

Humfrey advised that governors alone by responsible for issuing …

Jepara Furniture Exports

The level of exports of furniture from Jepara, central Java, continues to decline.

Since 2004, when exports of furniture from Jepara were at a level of 141 million dollars, a decline of 10% has occured in each successive year to the point where in 2006 it is estimated their value will reach only 112 million dollars, according to an industry official in Jepara.

Salem Bayong, the head of the industry and investment association in …

Special Economic Zone Hopefuls

… Banten has nominated the port town of Bojonegara while North Sumatra has suggested Belawan. Central Java is expected to put forward the Kudus area, which includes the furniture producing town of Jepara, he says.

None of the twelve are in the less developed east of Indonesia, however. Presently only one area in the country has the special economic zone status, that is Batam, near Singapore. kompas

November 3rd 2006

Three areas have been chosen as new special zones by the …

Regional Tribalism

… in fifteen regencies and municipalities within the provinces of West Sumatra, Banten, North Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara, examined the issue of decentralisation of power from Jakarta to local governments. 1,800 people, from ordinary folk to "activists", academics, local leaders and council members were surveyed.

Originally perceived as a method of improving accountability and the provision of public services regional autonomy is instead, as attested to in the study, seen as …

Tibo Execution

… in the killings of 122 Muslims and the burning down of 4 houses during sectarian fighting in central Sulawesi between May and July, 2000. Since 2001 various attempts at gaining clemency and case reviews have failed.

Cornelius Fabianus Tibo.

On the 9th the Attorney General's office sent notice of the planned execution to the families of the men, as well as to the condemned men themselves. Both the men and their families refused to sign the notices.

The men have made …

Comment by atmars: … hardliners in Sulawesi and all Indonesia, because …

Papernas

… groups attacked members of the Partai Persatuan Pembebasan Nasional (Papernas) on Jalan Sudirman, central Jakarta. Rocks were thrown at buses and vans carrying Papernas supporters, who were mostly women and children bussed in for a protest action.

One FPI member, Ahmad Sobari, cut his hand on some broken glass. Two children from the Papernas side and one policeman were also injured. l6

The other groups participating in the anti-Papernas action included Forum Betawi Rempug (FBR), …

Comment by Discomfort: … Department and Central Intelligence Agency regarding …

Islamic Violence

A small percentage of Indonesian Muslims have carried out violence in the name of Islam and a large percentage say they are prepared to do so.

The Center for Islamic and Social Studies (PPIM), Pusat Pengajian Islam dan Masyarakat, carried out a survey on religion and violence in which was given the following results:

0.1% have helped forcibly close illegal churches;
14.7% were …

Comment author: Israel Sayão

Comment by Israel Sayão: … Christians of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, three …

Israel & Lebanon

… Muslim`s mass organizations by holding constructive dialogs with their leaders, as well as central figures of Defence Ministry, Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) and National Police chief.

in order to calm the feelings of Muslims in the country, who he said were easily moved to offence over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He made dire warnings in the event that his advice were not followed:

Therefore, religious elements and the US embassy should be jointly active in taking …

Tentena Marketplace Bombing

The Tentena marketplace bomb, and aftermath,

The case of the marketplace bombing in Tentena, central Sulawesi, last year in which 23 people died appears to have been largely settled.

Additionally the special security force responsible for keeping the peace in the province has been disbanded as of today.

Occurring in the mainly Christian town on May 28th 2005, and injuring about 100 people in addition to the 23 lost lives, the bombing represented one of the worst atrocities in the …

Eklesia Church, Poso

A bomb exploded in the Eklesia church in Poso, central Sulawesi.

The bomb, thought to be a homemade device, exploded on Saturday night at the Eklesia church, on Jl. Pulau Seram in Gebang Rejo village, in the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso, but no casualties were reported.

The explosion was heard about three km's away, but caused no major physical damage to the building. The church was still under renovation after suffering fire …

MP’s Denounce Sharia Laws

… regional regulations, that have an Islamic "flavour" (see " creeping sharia ") be cancelled by the central government because the constitution of the country (UUD 1945) forbade the creation of laws which were discrminative towards any particular group.

The 56 MP's, excluding the PKS and PPP, have signed the declaration that provincial laws which are unconstitutional and have Islamic influences should be annulled.
(56 Anggota DPR kecuali PKS dan PPP menandatangani pencabutan perda-perda …

Comment by Dragonwall: … cancelled by the central government because the …

Religious Bullying in Elections

… supporting them. Two extreme example mentioned are:

In Tasikmalaya (West Java), and Muna (Central Sulawesi) religious leaders issued fatwas that threatened voters with hellfire if they did not support certain candidates.

while speaking at a press conference at the Sari Pan Pasifik Hotel in Jakarta.

Some candidates also make ostentatious donations to mosques, or hand out free headscarves and copies of religious texts. He named the areas of Asahan (North Sumatra), Kendal …

Playboy, 2nd Edition

… in Jakarta, features an interview with Fabianus Tibo - a Christian former militia leader in central Sulawesi who is currently awaiting execution for his part in an attack on a Muslim boarding school. Lifestyle issues are also a main part of Playboy 2nd edition's focus with a feature on local wine drinking culture.

The centrefolds are, as in the first edition, of a very conservative nature as the publishers continue their efforts to convince people that Indonesian Playboy will be …

War on Sin Battles & Advances

… and police and the less than pleased response of some.

In the town of Sidrap, South Sulawesi, hundreds of workers at, and owners of, night spots and bars demonstrated at the office of the town mayor on Thursday, 25th May. The local council in Sidrap had previously closed down all night-time entertainment places in an effort to stamp out sinful activities, particularly the consumption of alcohol. Demonstrators engaged in scuffles with police as they attempted to force their way …

Debate on Morality Bill

… polisi, kejaksaan dan pengadilan.)

Opposition to the bill has come primarily from Bali, North Sulawesi, Christians, artists, and also from those involved in the tourism industry. Tourism Minister Jero Wacik is on record as opposing the bill as is former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her party, the PDI-P, the second largest in parliament. The Protestant party, PDS, also opposes the bill while the Muslim based PKB is split down the middle it appears.

The PKB draws its …

Political Disappearances

… Jakarta University, and Dionysius Utomo's son. Dionysius was an administrative officer at Malang Central Mental Hospital. He immediately searched for him when he learned about his son's case. He went to the government house and many military and police stations but found nothing. Aside from knowing whether his son is dead or alive, when asked for other reasons, he thinks for a while and said with mournful eyes:

Bimo Petrus, one of the disappeared.

"I had a lot of hope in the …

Guarding Against Deviancy

… anyone, protestors or sect members.

Meanwhile, more recently, the case of the "Madi" sect in central Sulawesi has come to a partial close in the courts. In October 2005 police came to the sect's premises in the Palu area and attempted to arrest the leader, called Madi. Police had previously received reports from concerned locals that the Madi group were heretics. However sect members resisted and in the ensuing battle, in which blowpipes and sharp weapons were employed by the group, …

Mass Graves in Poso

Over the last month police in Poso, central Sulawesi, have discovered the remains of 700 people killed in sectarian violence in 2000.

Yesterday a pit was dug up in the district of Lage, about 12 km's to the south of Poso town, in which was found the skeletons of seven people. The Lage area was the scene of fierce fighting in May and June of 2000.

The dig was led by regional police chief Brigadier General Oegroseno. The …

Preparatory Committee for the Application of Islamic Laws

The growing application of sharia based laws in the province of South Sulawesi, and elsewhere, is bound up in the role of a group called the Preparatory Committee for the Application of Islamic Laws.

The Komite Persiapan Penegakan Sya-riat Islam was formed during the South Sulawesi Muslim Community Congress six years ago. This Congress elected one Abdul Azis Kahar Muzakkar, who is a member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) in Jakarta, as the …

Schoolgirl Beheading Case

… the infamous and appalling case of the beheading murders of three Christian schoolgirls in Poso, Sulawesi last year.

Police are reported mediaindo to have captured two men, Taufik alias Opik, whose attempted arrest previously had turned into a debacle, and one Hasanudin. Both men are thought to have been involved in the grisly murders of the girls as they walked to school in October 2005, as well as in the murder of Helmy Tobiling, a soldier's wife, in July 2004. bbc …

KTP Religion

… or the committing of violence against, people based on their religion in conflict areas such as Sulawesi and Ambon, like poor Mr Jelin in Poso yesterday.

However, the bill still obliges every citizen and every family to include their religion on their identity cards, as seen in in Article 68, and only official religions, - Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism, and probably Confucianism (although the Jakarta Post says not adnki ) - are …

Religious Freedom Report

… extremists, and the lack of civilian control over the military. Religiously motivated violence in Central Sulawesi, the Malukus, Papua, and parts of West Java continued in the past year, including murders, bombings, and mob violence. In some of these regions, militant Islamist groups appear to operate with relative impunity. Moderate Muslim leaders and members of religious minorities face pressure, intimidation, or sometimes violence from protestors organized by extremist groups, …

32nd Worst Country In The World

… they must be based on perceived events in Papua since other problem areas, like Maluku, Aceh, and central Sulawesi, have largely calmed down. Information on Papua is naturally hard to come by but is there massive forced uprooting ?

June 20th 2007. The 2007 list has Indonesia 55th worst, but there are now 177 countries listed. The overall score was 84.4 out of 100, last year was 89.2 and 2005 was 87, so there is some small improvement. fundforpeace This time Indonesia scored an …