for thousands of persecuted Christians in Indonesia amid fears they will experience hunger and genocide this Christmas season.
The Barnabas Fund, which is supporting Christians in Muslim nations, said "missiles, bombs and bullets" often "light up the sky, of Poso City and nearby areas on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi," which has seen a recurrence of anti-Christian violence.
While possible thousands are believed to have fled the region, many villagers are still trapped in their homes following a spate of Islamic attacks on Christian towns and individual Christians in the Poso area, Barnabas Fund and other human rights watchdogs say.
"Reports coming into Barnabas Fund describe the fear and trauma of the Christians who dare not go about their daily activities," the organization said in a statement seen by BosNewsLife.
NO PROTECTION
"They cannot understand why the Indonesian authorities do not protect them from the terrorists." It quoted one report as saying that "Christians huddle in their homes, praying, weeping and wondering."
The Barnabas Fund stressed that Christians "beg for protection" as they are otherwise unable to tend their rice fields and fruit plantations.
"If we leave our villages, then the Muslims will occupy them, and if we stay we cannot get access to our daily needs, in particular rice. And now we are facing the Christmas season," the Barnabas Fund quoted unidentified Christians as saying.
THOUSANDS SUFFER
"Help is urgently requested to feed these Christians and provide for their medical needs," it said. "There are 1,576 Christian families in critical need, living in 10 villages around Poso City. This means at least 7,880 people, counting an average of 5 people per family, though many families would be larger," the Barnabas Fund added.
There are apparently not enough security personnel in the area to meet the needs of thousands. "Even if they can harvest their crops they are afraid to take them to the main market in Poso City, where they would normally go."
This market has reportedly been occupied by Muslims since the first anti-Christian attacks in the Poso area around Christmas 1998. Analysts have linked the violence to growing anti-American sentiments in the post September 11 world.
CHRISTIAN POPULATION THREATENED
The well informed Barnabas Fund, which has close ties with church leaders and other Christians, said there are signs that Muslim militants target key figures as part of a plan to wipe out Christian populations.
A Muslim document, which it said had been intercepted and passed to local authorities, urged supporters to ‘mobilise the masses to destroy [the Christians]… Stun them with sudden and simultaneous attacks…Kill their important leaders."
The human rights group claimed a leaflet distributed in mosques bears the message: "join the waiting force with your finances, your soul and even your lives. We will carry out mass attacks to cause shock and kill Christian leaders."
In most recent violence late last month already two Christians, identified as Ruslam and Arifin who were in their 30’s, were gunned down in front of their young families as Islamic militants raided the church service they were attending, the organization said.
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS
Two gunmen reportedly pulled up a motorbike and fired through the door with automatic weapons just as the service was coming to a close in the church of Tabamawo, about 70 miles (about 112 kilometers) east of the Poso area, said the Barnabas Fund.
The attackers apparently also hit the pastor’s wife, Sandra Tengker (34) who was speaking at the time. She and two others are being treated at Ampana Hospital, church sources say.
In addition 20 "well armed men descended upon the predominantly Christian village of Kilo Trans, west of Poso." They reportedly killed village chief, I Ketut Sarmon (46), and a close member of his family, I Made Simson (26), both Hindu migrants from Bali.
PRAYER MEETING
The attackers "liberally strafed the houses of the village. Most Christians, however, were attending a prayer meeting in the church, which the attackers were not aware of; hence there were no Christian fatalities," said the Barnabas Fund.
Similar attacks and bomb explosions have rocked other villages, where scores of Christians have been killed in recent weeks, according to several sources, monitored by BosNewslife.
However the Barnabas Fund suggested it is confident there are ways to reach the embattled Christians with medical and food supplies.
The United Kingdom based human rights group said rice for one person for three months will cost £4.90 (about $8,30), which also covers medicines, other health assistance, and purchase, transport and administration costs.
