Indonesian Christians Attacked for Three Days
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
JAKARTA, INDONESIA (Worthy News)– For three days an unidentified mob set fire to homes and vehicles in a predominantly Christian neighborhood in the Moluccas as dozens of families fled in fear of suspected Islamists.
The violence began last week on Pattimura Day commemorating Indonesian hero Thomas Matulessy whose birthplace is contested by Christians and Muslims; that night, unknown assailants attacked a candlelight vigil in Saparua village, injuring 44 people; although General Saud Usman Nasution said the violence was caused by radical movements, he somehow ruled-out any involvement of Islamic terrorists.
From 1999 to 2001 a war raged between Christians and Muslims in the Moluccas; there were thousands of victims as hundreds of churches and mosques were destroyed, resulting in nearly half a million refugees.
In February 2002, a truce was signed in Malino, South Sulawesi, stopping the violence via a government sponsored peace plan, but sporadic violence between Christians and Muslims continues to erupt.