From fica-net@fica.org Fri Jan 3 10:57:37 1997 (pictures and further information on Tasikmalaya could be found at: http://www.fica.org/persecution/26dec96 or http://www.parokinet.org/bandung ) PEACE COMMITTEE FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION'S UNITY Jalan Palmerah Barat No.353, Blok A/8-9, Jakarta Selatan 12210, INDONESIA, Telp.: (021) 533-0974 Dear Christian Brethren, Hereby we would like to inform you of two things: first, setting that prompted us to act; second, statement and appeal resulting from a meeting we held as our act. A. Setting On December 26, 1996 an incident took place in Tasikmalaya, West Java. It all began this way. Rizal, aged 14, a son of Corporal Nursamsi of The Police of the Republic of Indonesia, reported to his father on Dec.20, 1996 that he was scolded and punished by his teachers because of his misconduct like stealing and drinking. Rizal was entrusted to the care of this "Riyadhul Ulum" Islamic Religious School by Nursamsi for such a misbehavior. His report so upset his father, it resulted in the sending of a letter on December 21, calling Habib and Ihsan who punished Rizal to come to the Resort Police Station. On Monday, December 23, both of them came to the police station with the company of Mahmud Farid (true son of owner of the school) and Ate (Mahmud's father's son in law). On arrival, all the four teachers were interrogated by Nursamsi, Rizal's father, and later persecuted by nine policemen and locked up cells. Farid was even undressed and his chest was scourged with cigarette butt. Ate could fortunately escaped and reported what had been happening to his school leadership. Later the school leadership reported the maltreatment suffered by his four teachers to Oeman Roesman, the regency administrator of Tasikmalaya, by whose effort the other three teachers were released. Their health was very bad. On December 24, Lieut.. Col. Suherman visited the victimized teachers and apologized for the maltreatment his subordinates had committed.The nine policemen were transported to Garut the following day for investigation purpose. In response to a rumor of the death of Farid, at 9 a.m. the mass flocked in the Great Mosque of Tasikmalaya to pray. At 10 a.m. Col. H.M. Yasin, regiment commander, accompanied by Lieut. Col. Yuyun, district commander of the army, and Chief of Police Resort, came to ease the mass's emotion. But they paid no attention at all. At 11 a.m. the mass left the mosque and began to destroy various buildings, starting with Resort Police Station which stood adjacent to the mosque. The incident went on until evening. At 8:45 p.m. Maj. Gen. Toyo Tarmadi proclaimed his ultimatum if by 9 p.m. the riot still continued he would not hesitate to command his soldiers to act. It cooled down the commotion. Reportedly The Third Military Territorial Command "Siliwangi" of the Province of West Java informed that the incident caused the following lost: 18 police stations, 67 stores, 6 automobile dealers, 20 small factories, 5 churches, 114 cars, vans and trucks, 19 motorcycles, one private public telephone service stall, one hotel, one bank, one clustered-office building, one police official residence, 2 parsonages, 10 civilian houses, one restaurant, one mechanic-repair shop, one garage and one warehouse. (Kompas, 30th December 1996). Still, thousands of workers have temporarily or even permanently lost their jobs and four persons were killed. B. Our Responsive Act STATEMENT and APPEAL concerning TASIKMALAYA INCIDENT December 26, 1996 ______________________________________________________________________________ In relation to an incident at Tasikmalaya, West Java Province, on December 26, 1996 which caused a few people killed and injured, as well as material lost, including christian churches which is so far unestimated materially, we who are united in a PEACE COMMITTEE FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION'S UNITY express our attitude and appeal as follows: 1. We strongly criticize cruel treatment beyond effective authority and procedures committed by a few policemen of the city of Tasikmalaya and express our sympathy for the victimized's disappointment and sorrow for their being maltreated. Other types of cruel maltreatment done by people vested with authority and legal power have also been undergone by common people in other places. They have lent an evidence of lawbreaking and manipulation of authority. Therefore, we declare especially to the Police Division, Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian Government in general, to stop any cruel maltreatment beyond effective authority and procedures -- whether openly or secretly -- and punish those law breakers and power manipulators who have marred the good image of government authorities and Police and Armed Forces and caused people's distrust to flourish. 2. We regret over the riots and setting on fires in Tasikmalaya that were committed on December 26, 1996 for such an anarchic ways on whatever bases may not happen in the unified country of The Republic of Indonesia which is a country based on constitution. Moreover when unsatisfaction toward a misconduct of certain persons is manifested through destructing worship buildings and setting them on fire. Therefore, we express our sympathy with those suffering from the riots and appeal that those who committed the crime be legally processed and punished as justly as possible. 3. We deduce that the Tasikmalaya incident followed after the pattern of incidents that happened earlier in Sidotopo (Surabaya) and in Situbondo. The majority of those who were involved in those incidents were not from the sites respectively, the readiness of the tools for destructing various buildings as well as fuel to set them on fire and similar types of objects of destruction indicate similar patterns. The Tasikmalaya incident was not fully spontaneous, but a form of designed cruelty. Therefore, we appeal to people of all walks of life to be cautious and not let themselves to be subject to things that can get them trapped in a design which manipulates religious sentiment. We also insist that the Government endeavor seriously to uncover and identify the said design as well as treat whoever is its responsible master mind accordingly indiscriminately. 4. We deduce that there has been a direction for setting christian churches as the anarchy's prime targets, which in general will cause: -- the abolishment of christian churches; -- the pressure over morale, rights and freedom to conduct worship services of christian citizens; and -- the collapse of the image of harmonious inter-religious life in Indonesia. In addition, the effort for putting Indonesian christians under pressure and hindering them from erecting church buildings as well as conducting worship services freely and peacefully in certain areas of Indonesia. Therefore, we appeal: 4.1. That all christians constantly and continually develop cooperation with fellow citizens who profess other religions in order to realize our feeling of love and oneness in the midst of community; to combat any effort for disintegrating the nation and pitting people with dif- ferent religious believes against one another and painstakingly struggle to build harmonious life which is deeply rooted in daily life activities, valuing and honoring one another, and not just developing pseudo-harmony which is guided and directed by various packages. 4.2. That christian youth of all walks of life in all parts of the country maintain cautious attitude and immediately form and organize Church Youngsters Task Forces that work every time to guard and protect church buildings from any systematic destruction efforts by irresponsible people. The Peace Committee for the Sake of the Nation's Unity herewith expresses its readiness to help with the signing up of every church young man who is willing to carry out such a task and coordinate Church Youngsters Task Forces in providing them with information, communication and joint action networking, focusing on Peace for the Nation's Unity. 5. We deduce that there has been a designed public opinion for the followings: -- Understanding the fact of socio-economical gap through religious sentiment. -- Using majority versus minority approaches to put certain ethnic groups, races and groups on the corner; -- Putting the role and service to the nation and country in ethnic, religious, racial and group formats through what is so called proportional principle. Such an anarchism has been more and more obviously committed by certain persons or a handful of certain elite group which results in the mushrooming of political, social and economical conduct on the basis of SARA (S stands for sosial=social; A for agama=religious; RA for ras=racial so SARA stands for socio-religio-racial) sentiment, which is very dangerous for its being irrelevant and unhistoric for Indonesia as a unified force. Deducing it as an intentional effort against a historical fact of our struggle in building the Indonesian nation and the country of Indonesia which ignores any ethnic, religious, and racial segmentation of the nation. In addition, in many parts of Indonesia, we are still struggling for combating poverty, underdeveloped condition and injustice which plagued us regardless what our ethnic, religious, racial and group background is. Therefore, we appeal: 5.1. That the Indonesian society of all walks of life and all potential parts of the nation that love unity, peace, justice, truth, and cleave faithfully to the national ideals which have been determined together since the Republic of Indonesia was established and proclaimed, and remain aware and unified in combating cooptation of any discriminative views for it obviously endangers our future existence as one nation inhabiting one country unified on the bases of Pancasila (the Five Principles) and 1945 Constitution. 5.2. That all of us support intensification of all escorting and defense efforts morally, socially, legally, politically and economically to guard our nation from the threats of arbitration, discrimination, domination, tyranny, as well as manipulation of authority. 5.3. That all churches, both church leaders and members, intensify awareness, concrete actions and without hesitation continue all efforts as God's instruments which channel peace and welfare for all the Indonesian nation without exception, as the Lord wills it. We all are to perseverently pray and fast, and surrender to God and commit themselves to true thoughtfulness and care to promote social and national welfare for their welfare means our welfare (Jeremiah 29:7). May the Lord be with THE PEACE COMMITTEE FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION'S UNITY and bless its purpose in proclaiming these statement and appeal, as well as carrying out its concrete steps throughout the year 1997 and beyond. Jakarta, 31st December 1996 THE PEACE COMMITTEE FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION'S UNITY Signatories: 1. Cornelius Ronowijoyo (Secretary General, PIKI=Christian Intelligence Fellowship) 2. Rev. Dicky M. Mailoa (General Chairman, GAMKI= Christian Youngsters Movement) 3. Rev. Drs. Agus B. Lay (National Director, LPMI=Campus Crusade for Christ). 4. Rev. Saut H. Sirait, S.Th. (Chairman, GAMKI). 5. Drs. Baltasar Tarigan (Chairman, GAMKI). 6. Daniel Yusmic Foekh, SH (GMKI=Christian Student Movement) 7. Rev. Eire Hutapea, S.Th. (Chairman, Protestant Batak Church, District VIII-Java) 8. Johan Tumanduk, SH (Chairman, Youth Council of GPIB). 9. Royke Turang (Chairman, Jakarta Branch of GAMKI). 10. Mangaranap Sinaga, SE (Chairman, Youth Committee, Jakarta District, Fellowship of Churches of Indonesia). 11. Jeffry Palijama, SH (Secretary, Jakarta Branch, GAMKI). 12. Johan Rahantoknam (Chairman, Bekasi Branch, GAMKI). 13. Benny Chandra Wijaya (Chairman, Branch of Western Municipality of Jakarta, GAMKI). 14. Adele Hutapea (Chairman II, Jakarta Branch, GAMKI). 15. Rionaldo Limahelu (Chairman, Branch of Central Municipality of Jakarta, GAMKI). 16. Aryawirawan Simauw (Secretary, RAGI Youth Community). 17. Rosita Aruan, SH (General Chairman, Protestant Batak Church, District VIII-Java). 18. Christoferus I.J. Latuheru (Chairman, Branch of Eastern Municipality of Jakarta, GAMKI). 19. Fadjar Seto Hardono (Vice Chairman, Branch of Central Municipality of Jakarta, GAMKI). 20. Timoteus Zebua (Church Youth, BNKP=Protestant Christian Church of Nias). ----- End Included Message -----