Tue, 28 Mar 2000

PGI formulates plan to end Maluku conflict

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) congress in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, is drafting a wide- ranging proposal to end the prolonged violence in Maluku and North Maluku, a church official said on Monday.

PGI secretary-general JE Pattiasina said a Protestant church peace blueprint currently being drafted at the congress would help efforts to restore peace and security in the two riot torn provinces.

"The basic principle of our peace outline is a nonviolent approach," Pattiasina told The Jakarta Post by telephone from Palangkaraya.

PGI is currently convening an eight-day congress in Palangkaraya. It was opened by President Abdurrahman Wahid on Friday and is due to be closed by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Basri Hasanuddin.

Pattiasina underlined the importance of ending the clashes between Christians and Muslims in the two provinces which have dragged on for over a year and claimed the lives of over 3,000 people.

He added that PGI would also cooperate with the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) in finding the most acceptable solution to end the crisis.

"We do hope our suggestion will be able to convince the conflicting parties to end this tragedy," said Pattiasina, who has been tipped to replace incumbent chairman Sularso Sopater.

The congress is also looking into a five-year plan to encourage nonmember churches like the Baptist Church to join PGI, which has 74 member churches.

"We want the united church plan to be realized by 2005," said Pattiasina without elaborating on the plan.

According to Pattiasina, the congress is also discussing the increasing destruction of places worship in recent years.

He claimed that at least 700 churches had been burned or destroyed since 1996, including 14 since the election of a new government in October.

"However, we are very encouraged with the President's leadership and we believe that under his leadership all religions will develop favorably in our country," Pattiasina said. (prb)