Habibie condemns Kupang violence

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie condemned on Tuesday the burning and ransacking of mosques in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, vowing his government would not tolerate the destruction of places of worship and other acts of prejudice.

"We condemn (the act), whether it is a church or a mosque or a temple. We condemn it because it is against the values of our culture, against the universal values of human rights," the President said when opening the fourth national workshop on human rights at the State Palace.

The workshop was organized by the National Commission on Human Rights in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said on Tuesday the violence in Kupang on Monday was a direct retaliation against the burning of churches in Jakarta on Nov. 22. Fourteen people were killed and 22 churches and five schools were burned or vandalized during the clash.

Roesmanhadi was quick to blame "a certain group of irresponsible people" who he said always provoked public anger against the government. "I have called on the country's city police chiefs to calm people and encourage them not to be easily provoked by dubious parties."

His spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar disclosed on Tuesday that rioters burned four mosques, two houses, two shops, three restaurants and two cars in the East Nusa Tenggara capital.

They also vandalized five mosques, 23 houses and one restaurant. At least 17 people were injured during the riot, including three shot by rubber bullets by military personnel, he said.

He said the Armed Forces (ABRI) headquarters had decided to send 800 troops to Kupang, including 100 personnel to back up local personnel in restoring calm.

"Police and military personnel have evacuated 511 Moslems to the local city police headquarters to avoid further unrest," Togar said.

The unrest erupted on Monday when thousands of people in the predominantly Christian province marched to protest the Ketapang incident in Jakarta. Prior to the violence, people had gathered for a peaceful show of mourning for the victims.

As of late Tuesday, Kupang remained deserted. Riot troops patrolled the town, concentrated especially near mosques on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan and the Muhammadiyah University in Esapa. Government offices and schools were closed.

Antara reported that about 130 Moslems sought refuge at the provincial police headquarters and military command.

It added protesters became violent on Monday after hearing rumors, which later proved baseless, that the Catholic cathedral and a Protestant church, both in Kupang, were set on fire by unidentified people.

Leaders of different religions reiterated their condemnation and concern over the incident and urged people to remain calm.

"I call on all believers to remain alert, especially in checking the accuracy of any news so they are not easily misled by rumors," said Ali Yafie, the vice chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council.

"Moslems should not be easily provoked. Do not become the target of ploys aimed at pitting people against each other," chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization Abdurrahman Wahid said in a statement.

The Bishops Conference of Indonesia condemned the incident and offered its regrets. It urged the government to thoroughly investigate the riot in Kupang and other places where violence had been reported.

"The vandalizing of any places of worship is intolerable under any pretext," its secretary-general J. Hadiwikarta stated.

"We regret the riot," Jakarta Archbishop Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja said. Although a third party may be implicated, he said, "nevertheless members of our community were involved".

Wherever Christians are the majority, they should "demonstrate a caring attitude and protect fellow citizens".

Minister of Religious Affairs Abdul Malik Fajar said he hoped the clash would not be repeated, especially during this month when Christians celebrate Christmas and Moslems start the Ramadhan fasting month. The Chinese New Year will be marked in January.

"I hope this December will really give a deeper understanding among religious worshipers in Indonesia," the minister said on the sidelines of a regional workshop of Islamic leaders on the issue of HIV/AIDS.

Also in Jakarta, several Catholic and Moslem youth and students groups issued a joint statement on Tuesday calling on people to remain calm and avoid succumbing to rumors.

Grouped in Forum for United Indonesia, they also urged an investigation into the violence and demand guarantees of protection and security to members of all religions.

Rusdi Muchtar, an anthropologist at the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI), believed the violence was a result of the long- established government security approach.

"Potential social conflicts have long remained buried and unaddressed because of the decades-long security approach imposed by the state," he told The Jakarta Post.

Meanwhile, police in Banjarsari, Lebak regency, West Java, refused to confirm reports that a mob had pelted stones at a church and movie theater in the small town, about 200 kilometers southwest of Jakarta, on Tuesday morning.

"We are not authorized to give any statement," a police officer told the Post. (prb/imn/byg/aan)