Inquisition in Indonesia

Civilians rampaging like wild elephants in the jungle, trampling on the rights of the people; making kangaroo court judgments on what people can think or say or do; condemning the populace if they don't conform to narrow self-righteous mind think; issuing dictums, or fatwas (religious instruction), demanding that all must obey or face their wrath.

This is identical to the Inquisition of the Dark Ages and the suppression of free thought by communist regimes. These people say the government has a responsibility to do something against apostasy. That means quashing freedom of thought and freedom of speech. This goes directly against the Constitution and Pancasila, and the United Nations Human Rights Accord, of which Indonesia is a signatory.

The duty of the government is to arrest the leaders of these violent groups for a number of crimes against the nation, including disturbing the peace, assault and battery, destruction of public and private property, and inciting public hatred, to mention just a few. In addition, it is imperative that the government declare these groups terrorist organizations and summarily ban them.

And while they are at it, overturn the conviction of an innocent man in Probolinngo, refute the regency ban on a particular religion in Cianjur and reverse the judgment of the three women in West Java.

It is the freedom of all the people that is at risk here. If these religious thugs, vis-a-vis the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), and "anti-apostasy" groups are allowed to continue to have their way, it will only embolden them and they will erode, nay, destroy the power of the people and with it democracy.

For those who think that this is an internal problem, then be informed that religion, human rights and terrorism cross all borders; ask any Muslim, ask any human, ask any terrorist. Thus, this is the responsibility of all citizens of this earth.

Therefore, Indonesia's home affairs minister, M. Maruf, religious affairs minister, Maftuh Basyuni, justice and human rights minister, Hamid Awaluddin, and President Susilo are called upon to come down out of their ivory towers and properly address these very serious issues, and not just ignore them as is usually the case with the courage-challenged leadership here and hope that they just go away, or leave them to the next administration.

BRIEN DOYLE Jakarta