JK Responds to Religious Blasphemy Accusations over Maluku-Poso Remarks, References PGI Chairman

Tenth and twelfth Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla (JK), has directly responded to the report from the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (DPP GAMKI) regarding accusations of blasphemy against Christianity.

JK clarified his statements concerning the conflicts in Poso and Maluku when he delivered a lecture at the Gadjah Mada University Mosque. He then referenced the Chairman of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), Reverend Jacky Manuputty, about the conflicts in those regions that were carried out in the name of religion.

“Well, the one who knows the situation best is the PGI Chairman, the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (Rev. Jacky Manuputty), who was formerly the synod chairman in Maluku,” he continued his explanation, then showed another video about the conflict.

He then alluded to parties who deliberately spread slander against him regarding his statements about the Maluku and Poso conflicts, leading to the GAMKI report.

“This is the atmosphere that was not in the media, even more cruel. Even worse, the people who slandered me. Were you ever there? I was there. Hamid (Awaluddin) was there, Uceng (JK’s spokesperson Husain Abdullah) as a journalist at the time went to see,” said JK.

Previously, PGI General Chairman Rev. Jacky Manuputty opined that Jusuf Kalla’s statement touching on the Poso and Ambon conflicts as examples of religion being an easy pretext to justify violence was not entirely wrong.

Kalla’s statement in the public lecture at UGM on 5 March 2026 was reported to the police for alleged blasphemy against Christian teachings. The report was filed by the DPP of the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (GAMKI) and several other organisations.

“This statement, if read in the context of the Poso and Maluku conflict history, is not entirely wrong. We cannot close our eyes to the fact that at that time religion indeed appeared with a distorted face,” said Jacky in his statement, quoted on Wednesday (15/4).

Jacky, who is also a Christian delegate member in the Malino II agreement for Maluku conflict reconciliation, admitted to experiencing the dynamics of the conflict directly.

He witnessed firsthand how religious legitimacy, prayers, spiritual hymns, and blessings from religious figures often became prerequisites before combatants went to the field of conflict.