Indonesian and Bali Trip, Congressional Delegation May of 2000

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Ann Buwalda of Jubilee Campaign and the Congressional group in Jakarta, Indonesia

    The trip was to begin early to allow Ann and Kie-Eng to visit and observe sites of religious persecution of Christians prior to joining with the Congressional entourage to meet with President Wahid and other government officials. I met with Ann and Kie-Eng in Los Angeles for the flight to Taiwan, China and then to Jakarta, Indonesia. It was a long flight and we covered thirteen time zones. In Jakarta we were met by another member of Jubilee, Shirley Doornik who was to be our guide in Indonesia. After leaving our baggage at the hotel we went to a Christian Seminary Doulos Christian Center on the outskirts of Jakarta to meet with the leaders of this large school. The seminary was located on 25 to 30 acres located on the outskirts of Jakarta and consisted of a complex of buildings, some residential, others for school classes, and others for logistics. It seems that in December over 1000 Muslim extremists in white clothes entered, pillaged and burned most of the buildings in this complex. Over 270 seminarians were in residence at the time. A few were killed, many were injured. While the destruction took place in the early and late evening it was not until morning that the police and fire companies arrived. The destruction of the seminary was over 50% by this time. After the incident the local government is holding up reconstruction by not issuing building permits. Either there is fear of Muslim retaliation or there is a deliberate attempt by the local authorities to prevent the rebuilding of the Christian seminary.

Doulos Christian Center destruction in late 1999           

    Indonesia has the fourth largest population in the world, some 216 million people spread over many large islands spread over 3000 miles, of which Java contains its capital and largest city Jakarta, which has over 12 million people. In addition, romantic places which include Borneo, Krakatau, Sumatra, Celebes, Bali, Komodo, the Moluccas and Spice Islands, and New Guinea covers the geological and natural continental line between Asia and Australia. It lies on the equator. We have all heard of Timor and its separation from Indonesia, now a UN protectorate. The Indonesian populous contains the largest population of the Islam community in the world and there is a strong desire by this community to make this a total Muslim country. A smaller community is Christian and another is Hindu, primarily on Bali.

    Prior to the present elected government Indonesia was a dictatorship which had grown increasingly corrupt. Thus the new weak economically poor government has been unable to prevent religious persecution from the Muslim extremists of Christians, seen as the main competitor to Islam. We saw this religious struggle abetted by government troops in Timor which resulted in the UN removing the government forces and Christian Timor winning its independence from the central government. Throughout Indonesia we see the extremist Muslim Jihad creating unrest in the communities by attacking the Christians. We have seen this in Ambon, northern Sumatra, Jakarta and in southern Sumatra; all in the most populated of centers.

    The seminary leaders pleaded with us to ask President Wahid to grant them their building permits so that they can rebuild their school. The next morning Ann, Kie-Eng Shirley and I planned to go to Ambon where fighting had broken out between Christians and the imported Jihad soldiers. We arrived at the airport at 5AM. There we were told that Ambon had broken out in fighting overnight and that the airport was closed. We decided to fly to Medan in northern Sumatra which had the prior day sustained a series of bomb blasts, one of which was planted in a Methodist church filled with college students.

    In Indonesia only 17% of students finish high school and much fewer go to college. Thus the importance of these students to Indonesia's future is immense, as they are the future leaders. In Medan, a lovely city of 2 million people in northern Sumatra has always been a peaceful city where Muslims and Christians have created a good and mutually beneficial spiritual life. In late May a series of bombs exploded in different Christian churches and a popular restaurant owned by a Christian. These bombs were of the same construction as the bombs used in Ambon. They were homemade bombs filled with nails and used the same trigger mechanism. One of these bombs was placed in a small chest in the pews of the largest Methodist church in Medan. It was a place where college students would pray prior to going to classes in the morning. The bomb exploded in the section where young female students prayed wounding 67 students many severely. We were taken to the rudimentary local hospital where the most severely wounded students were being treated. Some had been operated on, others would not be until later as the facilities were limited. All came from poor families which could not afford the care needed. All were students. We went to the church and witnessed the carnage that the bomb created, The clock was stopped at 8:23. When we discussed with religious leaders the impact of these events on the community, most downplayed the bombings, attempting to mitigate them, so that happenings would not become incendiary in the community. Money from Jubilee Campaign was provided to assist those students to cover their hospital costs. We then flew back to Jakarta.

College Students victims of religious prompted bombing in Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia

    The next day we flew early to Padang in Sumatra in which two ministers and a church elder were incarcerated. When one reads the story and files of these cases it is evident that the charges are trumped up and quite unsupported. These charges were brought by the Muslim community against the two ministers, one of which leads a Christian school and the Elder of another church for the rape of a Muslim girl. After meeting with local officials of the Christian churches and the supporters for the release of the three church leaders, we were taken to the local prison which was third world at best. We were met by the guards and the Commandant of the prison. I had been requested to take pictures of the prisoners and had to smuggle a camera into the prison. We were taken to a concrete walled room where the three prisoners were brought to us for a visit, and the guards left the room. In the small concrete room the camera placed between my legs sounded like the loud clicks of a rifle being cocked. It was almost deafening to my ears. Guards walking along the outside of the building heard these loud clicks. Soon the Commandant walked in. He was swarthy and severe and sat down across from me. Without fanfare I placed the camera down at my side which was facing him. I felt for sure that my film would be taken, probably my camera, and possibly me for infringing on the rules. After continued conversation with the prisoners, a request was made to take more pictures of the prisoners and to possibly include the Commandant. He agreed and the pictures were taken without incident. For me it was an-on-the-edge-moment

Political Prisoners -Ministers and Elder with wife in Padang, Sumatra

    Prior to going to the prison, I had a few moments to take pictures of the colorful fishing boats in the charming port of Padang. The heritage of Dutch architecture and the sweeping style of Balinese or Hindu buildings create a wonderful visual excitement. The port was in the lower part of the Padang River. The river also served the city of 3 million as a sewer and it smelled as such. In the center of the river fisherman were casting their nets as the local populace went to the river edge to defecate. Needless to say I did not eat fish in Padang at lunch. At the end of the day we flew back to Jakarta on Garuda Airlines, the national airlines of Indonesia and a good one.

                                    Padang fishing fleet                                                                    

    The next day Congressman Pitts arrived with Dr. Richard and Jean Niemeyer as well as Karin Finkler. We greeted them and after a short respite, were taken to the American Embassy. There we were briefed and were invited by Ambassador Robert Gelbard to the US Ambassador's residence for lunch, where we also met Mrs. Gelbard. The residence was a former palace and his briefing was quite complete combined with an excellent "state" luncheon.

    After the luncheon we went to visit with President of Indonesia, Wahid and had an extended audience with him. He told us that making the transition to a democracy was not an easy one and that it would take time. A priority of his was to reduce the power of the military to civilian rule, to establish a court and legal system and to reconstruct the economy which is so poor. He was also quite aware of the Muslim extremists effort to destabilize the country and the government and his policies included the coexistence of all religions in peace. I felt that President was a man to be respected and hope that he has time and the strength to implement his policies.

    The delegation went to a Jakarta hospital to visit with victims of the Ambon conflict. The rest of the time in the evening and the next day was spent with members of the Indonesian Parliament, business leaders, religious leaders and with non-government organizations (NGOs) to understand the problems that the country faces creating a new democracy from a military dictatorship.

Ambon victim being evaluated by Dr. Richard Niemeyer in a Jakarta hospital

Congressman Joe Pitts and Dr. Richard Niemeyer  with Indonesian business leaders in Jakarta

    I left Jakarta and went to Bali to rest for 4 days at a lovely resort on Peneeda Beach. I hired a driver on the second day to take me throughout the island for the next few days. The Hindu religion thrives here with the people living comfortably in their religion. Each house, store, hotel has its own temple and each morning flowers and rice are offered as a sacrifice at the door. Here the religious struggle of Muslim on Christian does not rear its ugly head. Here the people live under old traditions and social practices that are supportive and comfortable.

    On this crowded earth there is a struggle going on that is resulting in great displacement of civilians. In many locations it is resulting in genocide. The Muslim Jihad is destabilizing many communities in its effort to expand the Islam religion worldwide. Somewhere the worldwide community needs to address this push as the world needed to stem the Christian effort in the crusade period as well as the Inquisition in Europe.

    The world religions should be the evaluator as well as the example for the upward movement of the human condition and values. Sometimes they lose this purpose in their zeal to expand their religion's scope. In all religions, the condition of each soul is all important. In the current effort by Islam to expand its base, many individual souls are being stepped on via genocide and slavery. The world community needs to curb this event to prevent a human rights catastrophe as well as world destruction as we know it. We all have a role and a part in this.

Lucian Niemeyer

Santa Fe, New Mexico

January 6^th 2001

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