Large-scale destruction and burnings of worship buildings began in 1996, exactly June 1996 in Sidotopo, Surabaya, East Jawa, and in 1998 quantity and quality of the actions have accelerated significantly. A grand strategy of blaming the Christians and Chinese Indonesians as the source cause ("mastermind") of the economic and political crises seems to gain opportunity increasingly. The Government and the Armed Forces have never given any adequate and open explanation about solution to the violent cases, though they stated frequently that the mastermind has been identified. So, worries and disappointments have been mixing in regard to the State administration which is no longer standing for all groups of the national community; for example similar violent actions broke up in Bekasi at the end of 1998, and yet worse in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta where Christians were prohibited of worship services and threats were imposed that worship buildings will be destroyed if they neglect warning. This was followed by tragedies of civil war in Poso, also at the end of 1998, destructive actions in Karawang where Christian worship houses were damaged and set on fire.

Observing critically to the frequent incidents, the riots, the PGI Executive Board felt sad and disappointed; nonetheless it maintains full commitment to justice, peace and love for their action. The PGI Executive Board noticed that:

• Unfirm, nervous and uncertain policies of the Government and the Armed Forces in dealing with the SARA (ethnic, religious racial and group) riots have triggered and given time for consolidation to report such incidents and riots. This has aggravated differences, it is not educative and it nurses hatred among the people which is highly potential for a "civil war".

• Damaging of worship buildings in Bekasi during Christmas celebrations followed by the banning of worship services and threats against Christians in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta at the time when people were preparing to celebrate Christmas 1998 were really disturbing and painful. And it became worse again when the riot in Karawang set 3 Church buildings on fire as if it indicated that such action will grow further in 1999. The damaging and burning of Church buildings, and in particular the prohibition of worship services represent seriously contradictive actions not only to the common moral of a nation but also religious moral, including Islamic moral.

Though the Poso incident with mass fightings began with a simple criminal issue it was so fastly developed into a massive riots with the banner of religious solidarity. Mass from outside the Poso town flow down to Poso and turned the town into an arena of open war. The Regent and his administration left the town, while the military forces were pulled to their quarters. Probably this drama of civil war is not the last one. It seems that more number of open wars will come up, and the Government and the Armed Forces will say they cannot control the situation.

It is time to settle completely this horizontal problem, and it must be decided by the people themselves. It seems that involving the Government elites or the political elites will only worsen the situation. In this respect the PGI Executive Board see that in order to get rid of a prolonging civil war it is time to end this conflict substantially by involving religious leaders. The Government should act merely as facilitator.

Being fully aware of the heavy burden born by the Government and the serious dilemma in maintaining the Nation's integrity, and also considering the efforts toward reconciliation and reconsolidation within the Armed Forces, the PGI Executive Board appeals and calls all components of the Nation as follows:

1. Take immediate steps to settle all conflicts of interest at all levels of political elites and within the community. This would need a long time, a national dialogue is urgently needed to build people's trust to the political elites who have disturbed peace in the community. Conflict solution at the elite level will help pacify conflicts at community level which were often politicized for the interest of certain people.

2. Urge and demand the Government and the Armed Forces to exercise their functions to guarantee the right for protection, property right and right to freedom of religion in this country. Doubt and uncertainty and unfirmness will lead the Indonesian nation to a deeper destruction. Banning of the right to worship is too painful comparing to the burning of worship houses. Just like for Moslems, worship is a substantial expression of human rights. Prohibition of worship is therefore a gross violation of human rights.

3. The civil war phenomenon is extremely disturbing. Without mentioning the Christian community in Poso which is the majority, but become victims, we would like to underline that the Poso case serves as our common reference, and it is quite possible that people will fight against one another. Therefore, in order to avoid any threatening civil war we seriously urge the Armed Forces and the Government to take strict action to trace the instigators and mass organizers coming from outside the town, and not to be trapped by issues against certain groups.

4. The safety of the Nation is very much dependant on self-resilience of the whole community. Dialogues and continuing interactions are positive ways to avoid fightings against one another, attacking one another and accusing one another. Our nation is really wounded, but it is curable if we succeed to avoid instigations and provocations. We therefore appeal to the whole Indonesian nation to strengthen our sense of fraternity and not to be provoked to commit destructive deeds. Let us create an atmosphere of peace with our neighbours.

May God protect our Nation and our State. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Sularso Sopater
General Chairman

Rev. Dr. J.M. Pattiasina
General Secretary

Jakarta, January 11, 1999