Religious forum to be held in East Timor

Religious forum to be held in East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): A forum will be established later this month for
discussion and consultation between religious groups in the
province of East Timor, which has recently been rocked by civil
unrest.

The forum is to be inaugurated on Oct. 24. It will consist of
leaders of the five religions recognized in Indonesia:
Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. It is
expected to focus on issues of concern emerging in the
predominantly Roman Catholic province.

Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher said yesterday
that the forum will also "alert the people if rumors are being
spread by the GPK -- the security-disturbing movement".

Following rioting and clashes between Catholic and Moslem
groups in East Timor early last month, various parties, including
the House of Representatives, called on the government to
establish a such a forum.

About 100 ulemas and Moslem leaders from Jakarta and West Java
have invited East Timor Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo to
talks to help reduce tension and introduce greater understanding
in the province.

Tarmizi welcomed the invitation, saying it is now time for all
parties, including the Roman Catholic leader, to learn from the
recent unrest.

"I see the wish of the ulemas to hold talks with Bishop Belo
as one which comes out of a democratic community. This is a
democratic society -- if one party wishes to speak, the other
should listen," Tarmizi said.

"The disturbance in the relationship between religious groups
in East Timor should serve as a lesson for everyone.

"I think Belo himself has drawn a lesson," said Tarmizi, who
was speaking to the press after a meeting with President
Soeharto.

"It is to be hoped that the lessons can be used to solidify
the peaceful co-existence among religious groups in East Timor,"
he added, warning that it is the religious groups themselves who
will suffer if they do not act to maintain harmony among
different groups.

Actions

The ulemas, while attending the House of Representatives last
week, suggested a number of actions that might be taken,
including a meeting of Bishop Belo, ulemas, the National
Commission on Human Rights, the Armed Forces and the government.

Last month, the cities of Dili and Maliana saw youths on the
rampage. Migrants were harassed and their houses attacked,
mosques and Protestant churches were vandalized, vehicles were
set alight and market places were burned down.

The authorities have since arrested more than a dozen people
in connection with the riots and detained a Maliana prison
official said to have insulted the Roman Catholic religion while
addressing prison inmates, thus sparking the riots.

Tarmizi said that religion had often been exploited for
political ends in the course of Indonesian history. Talks among
religious groups would, he said, help to improve understanding
and strengthen co-existence.

"That's why we should be aware (of the possible exploitation
of religious issues) whenever a security disturbance occurs," he
said. "Religious issues are ones which can easily be misused by
the GPK groups."

Religions were once used by the now-banned Indonesian
Communist Party for political agitation, he added.

Tarmizi also told the press that, as of yesterday, there are
40,720 people on the waiting-list for next year's haj pilgrimage.
Of that number, some 6,000 prospective pilgrims have yet to
confirm whether they will be making the trip, he said.

Tarmizi quoted President Soeharto as saying that, should any
of the prospective pilgrims cancel, their places should promptly
be given to Moslems from remote areas. (swe)