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| Southeast Asia |
| Indonesia executes Christians |
| 2006-09-21 |
| THREE Indonesian Christians who were on death row for inciting violence against Muslims in 2000 were executed by firing squad, their lawyer said. "They have been executed. Their bodies are now undergoing an autopsy at the police hospital," lawyer Roy Rening said. Mr Rening said he was informed of the executions of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marianus Riwu by the prosecutors office in Palu, the capital of religiously-divided Central Sulawesi province, where the men were being held. Indonesia authorities typically do not inform the public of executions, which are carried out by firing squad and held at undisclosed locations, until several hours after an autopsy is completed. Mr Rening added that he refused to be present at the deaths to protest a rejection by the state of their last demands, including that their bodies be flown back to their home towns or laid in wake at Palu's main Catholic church. He was unable to give further details about the precise time of the death, but a flurry of activity had occurred around midnight local time (0400 AEST) at the tightly-guarded jail, where a steady rain drizzled overnight. The trio were initially scheduled to be shot last month but authorities granted a last-minute reprieve - even following the preparation of their coffins - shortly after Pope Benedict XVI issued a plea for clemency, though a link was denied. A spokesman for Pope Benedict XVI said the executions were a "defeat for humanity". "It is very sad and painful news. Every time capital punishment is used is a defeat for humanity," said Federico Lombardi. Amnesty International's South-East Asia researcher, Isabelle Cartron, said Amnesty was "deeply disappointed". "Such state-sanctioned killings are all the more unacceptable where, as in this case, there have been serious doubts about the fairness of the trials," Ms Cartron said. She said defence witness testimony had been ignored by the court and the men's lawyers had endured death threats and a bomb being planted at one of their homes. The case of the trio has raised fears of sectarian violence flaring again in Central Sulawesi, where more than 1000 people lost their lives in 2000-01 as Muslims and Christians clashed. Tibo, da Silva and Riwu were convicted of leading a Christian militia that carried out attacks against Muslims in the province, but they categorically denied they were the masterminds behind the unrest. The case of the three poor farmers drew international concern from rights activists, who criticised the fairness of their trial and saw the men as scapegoats targeted while few others were convicted over the violence that began six years ago, leaving those most responsible on the run. On Thursday, the men had met for the last time with their relatives, their priest and their lawyer, Mr Rening, who criticised authorities for declining to meet their final requests. "They should just do the execution and return their bodies to the family... This is a new crime, and I protest this attitude," Mr Rening said. Typically authorities do turn bodies over to families after executions, following a routine autopsy. Authorities may be concerned that the bodies could become a focal point for protest. The men's priest, Father Jimmy Tumbeleka, said he was concerned that a refusal to hand over the bodies could "trigger more anger from the family and others" in the province, where Muslims and Christians live in roughly equal numbers. More than 4000 security forces have fanned out across the province in the past two days in anticipation of the executions. Christian leaders had urged their faithful to stay calm and refrain from any violence ahead of the executions, with widespread prayer services for the men being held. The executions were carried out just a few days ahead of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting which is expected to begin this weekend. According to Amnesty International, which had raised questions about the fairness of the men's 2001 trial, the most recent previous execution in Indonesia was in May 2005. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #4 Christian leaders had urged their faithful to stay calm and refrain from any violence ahead of the executions, with widespread prayer services for the men being held. An action not emulated by Muslim Imams and Mullahs. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2006-09-21 21:40 |
| #3 Remind me about this the next time any discussion of foreign aid comes up. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-21 20:15 |
| #2 Indonesia. Yep, a shining light of Muslim tolerance, a truly inspiring example of a just and fair Muslim democracy. |
| Posted by: flyover 2006-09-21 19:44 |
| #1 Indonesia backsliding. Noted, apology demanded. Denied, 8.2 richter scale. FU. |
| Posted by: newc 2006-09-21 19:36 |