Date: 06 Jan 1997 14:53:45 +0000 (GMT)
From: tapol@gn.apc.org
Subject: Vatican worried about riots
To: Recipients of indonesia-act <indonesia-act@igc.org>


From: tapol (Tapol)

Vatican asks Indonesian envoy to explain riots
AFP, 7 January 1997 Abridged

Vatican authorities have called in Indonesia's ambassador to the Holy See to
explain riots last week that targeted Christians in West Java, a report said
Thursday.

Ambassador Irawan Abidin met Msgr Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's
undersecretary for Relations with States, the Jakarta Post reported. A
Muslim mob went on the rampage in Tasikmalaya, West Java last week, picking
out Christian and ethnic-Chinese and destroying more than 100 buildings,
including 15 churches.

Abidin was quoted as saying the riots were the irresponsible actions of a
small group of people and strongly denied suggestioons that the violence was
directed against Christians. 'The culprits have been caught by the
authorities and in the near future will be brought to court,' he said in a
statement obtained by the Post.





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