Contact: Jeff King, President, International Christian Concern, 301-989-1708, icc@persecution.org
MEDIA ADVISORY, Sept. 19 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has just become informed that the execution date has been re-scheduled for three Christians involved in the Poso conflict. The men are to be executed on Thursday, September 21, 2006. They were the only ones charged in a conflict in which massive numbers of Muslims participated.
After their execution was stayed last month by the Attorney General for Central Sulawesi, Mohammad Yahya Sibe, he was suddenly replaced. He was the one who had to give the order for the executions to proceed. The Chief of Police was also suddenly replaced and sent to another department. Now, the appeal for these men that should have lasted months or even a year to process has been denied within one month. The execution is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 21, 2006.
Jeremy Sewall, ICC Policy Analyst, said, “The Indonesian government is sacrificing true justice to provide judicial ‘balance’ by executing these three Christians to appease Muslims who are upset that three Islamic terrorists are also set to be executed for their part in the Bali bombings. This is not justice. This is deception, cover-up, and appeasement.”
Tibo, Riwu, and Da Silva, all Christian, were the only men charged in the Poso conflict, even though the conflict started in 1998 and went till 2003. This is a glaring injustice and hints of massive cover-up by the Indonesian government. ICC has personally investigated the Poso conflict. Entire Christian villages were attacked with government munitions and burned down using Indonesian government fuel trucks. Christian adults and children were beheaded. The Muslim community initiated the attacks and there was every indication that local Muslim government leaders were involved. Why were no Muslims ever charged in any of the attacks?
Jeff King, President of ICC, stated, “There are so many Muslims in the Poso area with blood on their hands that the Governor of Central Sulawesi, where Poso is located, recently conveyed to the community that in order to attain peace it was necessary to implement a ‘General Amnesty’ for those implicated in the Poso case. Religious and cultural leaders of the Poso community have also repeatedly held meetings in order to achieve a ‘General Amnesty.’ Strangely, the need for amnesty is only for those who have not been charged.”
ICC requests that all concerned individuals contact their Indonesian embassy to urge the Indonesian government to intervene in this case to:
1. Delay the execution.
2. Reopen a wide ranging investigation into the Poso attacks to so that everyone who is guilty can be charged or amnestied.
Indonesian Embassy US
2020 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036, USA
Tel. - 202 - 775 - 5200;
Fax. 202 - 775 – 5365
http://www.embassyofindonesia.org/
Indonesian Embassy UK
38 Grosvenor Square
London W1K 2HW
Tel. (020) 7499 7661
Fax. (020) 7491 4993
Indonesian Embassy Canada
Post Mail: 55 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 1E5, Canada
Phone: (613) 724-1100
Fax: (613) 724-1105
http://www.indonesia-ottawa.org/
