As the world remembered the one-year anniversary of the nightclub bombings in Bali, Indonesia, which killed over two hundred foreigners, violence in Christian areas of Indonesia erupted.
On September 28, a church worker found a bomb in the Gereja Kristen Sulawesi Tengah church in Tomata village. The police were able to remove the bomb and detonate it without any injuries. There have been several other bomb threats against churches in recent weeks.
According to a report from International Christian Concern, a Christian convert from Islam, Mr. Jono, age 44, was murdered on the streets of Pandiri village in broad daylight on October 1. The attackers were followed to a primarily Muslim village where they escaped.
On the night of October 10, residents in the village of Old Beteleme, Central Sulawesi woke to cries of "Allahu Akbar" and gunshots. By the time the attack ended, two people were dead, six missing, and several injured. Another man later died of injuries. Thirty-eight homes and an Assembly of God church were also destroyed. According to Sunday's Jakarta Post, three men have been detained for questioning.
Hours before the memorial for the Bali bombings, there was a coordinated attack on four primarily Christian villages near the town of Poso in Central Sulawesi province on October 12: Saatu, Pinedapa, Pantangolemba and Madale. Reports on the actual number of casualties vary, but at least eight and possibly up to fifteen Christians were killed, several were wounded, and dozens of homes and a church building were burned. Gunmen dressed in black fatigues and masks entered the towns, killing the fleeing villagers, and then disappeared into the surrounding hills. Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha believes that this attack may be linked to the October 10 attack on Old Beteleme.
Around 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 13, the nearby village of Betania was rocked by a bomb blast outside a house. While there were no casualties, the explosion caused panic among the residents who expected gunshots to follow the explosion.
In response to these attacks, as many as 8,000 additional forces are being sent into Central Sulawesi to restore peace. On Tuesday, the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, where he held meetings with military officers, the National Intelligence Agency and the Governor Aminuddin Ponulele in Palu. On Wednesday morning he traveled to Poso to assess the situation and hold talks with local religious leaders.
Pray that efforts by the Indonesian government to restore peace will be successful and that these attacks will not lead to further violence or any retaliation. Pray that those responsible for this violence will be brought to justice. Pray for inner peace for Christians living in fear of further attacks.
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