sectarian violence, after Indonesian authorities postponed the execution of three Muslim militants found guilty of involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings.
Christians Fabianus Tibo, 60, Domingus ‘Domi’ da Silva, 39, and Marinus Riwu, 48, were to be executed on charges of involvement in the 2000 sectarian violence in Poso region in which 1000 people died. Their previous rendezvous with death was postponed at the last moment earlier this month because authorities said they wanted to prepare for Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations August 17.
Over the weekend the Vatican issued a new appeal not to execute the men, who human rights groups say have been prosecuted based on shaky evidence. Even Muslim witnesses reportedly said during trials that the men were not involved in fighting but in humanitarian aid efforts.
In a statement to BosNewsLife Christian groups Open Doors and the Evangelical Alliance UK said they believe the case against the three men is "seriously flawed." The organizations said they were "calling for a complete review of the evidence against them, and the judicial process" which led to the death sentences.
AUTHORITIES REFUSE
However Indonesian authorities so far refused to bow for international pressure and call off the execution. And, analysts cautioned that the August 22 postponement of the execution of Muslim militants Amrozi Nurhasyim, Ali Gufron and Imam Samudra, who were convicted for the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, would not boost the chances for the suspected Christian fighters to escape death as well.
It would be politically difficult for the government to execute the Bali bombers before, or at the same time, as Christians – who represent a minority in Indonesia – before a firing squad, commentators said.
Officials suggested to reporters there was no link, saying Indonesia only delayed the executions of the three Islamic bombers because the condemned men "wanted to file a final appeal."
CLOSE DOORS
Catholic news agency AsiaNews quoted the Attorney General’s Office as saying that the chief of police and the head of the Office for the province of Central Sulawesi would meet "behind close doors to discuss when the execution" of the Catholics should take place. Unlike the Muslim militants, the Christian men already lost all their appeals.
Both Muslim and Christian representatives in Indonesia fear a new wave of sectarian strife if all the six men are eventually executed. There were already signs of growing tensions over the weekend, news reports said.
At midnight on Saturday, August 19, a bomb exploded in a Poso café without causing any injuries, AsiaNews said. Local police reportedly said that the explosions were aimed at "re-igniting sectarian hatred" between local Muslims and Christians. (With BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos and BosNewsLife Research and reports from Indonesia).
