Rights body announces findings<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights said the
\nrecent attack on East Java churches was not fueled by religious
\nhatred but instigated by \"irresponsible persons.\"<\/p>\n
The commission, however, will leave it to the government to
\ndetermine the identities of the instigators, according to
\ncommission member A.A. Baramuli.<\/p>\n
\"Such investigation reaches beyond the commission's
\nauthority,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The commission was announcing the results of its
\ninvestigations into a number of rights violation cases, including
\nthe attack by locals on the churches in the predominantly Moslem
\nEast Java town of Situbondo, during which five people died.<\/p>\n
The commission also investigated the violent deaths of
\nYogyakarta-based journalist Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin and robbery
\nsuspect in Bogor, Tjetje Tadjudin.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Baramuli said the conclusion was reached after
\ninterviewing Christian and Moslem leaders, as well local
\ngovernment officials.<\/p>\n
\"All of the religious leaders interviewed had expressed great
\nbewilderment about how the riots could have erupted in their
\ncommunity where everybody had enjoyed harmonious inter-religious
\nliving for more than 50 years,\" Baramuli said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the violence started after unidentified
\npeople told an angry mob that Saleh, a local standing trial for
\nblasphemy, was hiding in a church.<\/p>\n
\"The commission found it wasn't true that Saleh was hidden in
\na church, and we did not find any indications that Moslems had
\nplanned the attacks on other houses of worship,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the riots were meant to hurt a certain
\nreligious group, Baramuli said: \"It will be up to the government
\nto prove and decide whether it was so.\"<\/p>\n
Attending the plenary session of the commission yesterday were
\nchairman Munawir Sjadzali, secretary general Baharuddin Lopa,
\nClementino dos Reis Amaral, Miriam Budiardjo, Nurcholish Madjid,
\nAsmara Nababan, Bambang W. Soeharto, Muladi, Marzuki Darusman,
\nAisjah Amini, Sutandyo Wignjosoebroto, Satjipto Rahardjo,
\nSoegiri, Albert Hasibuan, and Djoko Soegianto. (26\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-body-announces-findings-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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