Indonesia: Obama Must Raise Concerns About Indonesia’s Rising Religious Intolerance: US Commission

“We believe that the vast majority of Indonesians will warmly receive this message. We also urge the Administration to develop with Indonesia a regular human rights dialogue. Such a dialogue would establish a structure through which rule of law and human rights concerns, including religious freedom restrictions and violations, could be discussed.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Jakarta Globe | November 16, 2011

A United States government commission has called on US President Barack Obama to speak out against Indonesia’s growing religious intolerance when he meets President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during the upcoming Asean Summit in Bali.

In an open letter sent to Obama on Nov. 14, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom noted that there were “strong political forces, terrorist networks and extremist groups that continue to be serious obstacles to Indonesia’s democratic trajectory and a source of ongoing violations of religious freedom and related human rights.”

“USCIRF remains concerned about the troubling rise in societal violence experienced by religious minorities and human rights defenders at the hands of extremist groups seeking to enforce one version of religious orthodoxy,” the open letter signed by chair Leonard Leo read.
“Too often the police and local government officials tolerate or aid this violence and courts do not sufficiently punish perpetrators.”

The group listed a number of incidents over the past several months, including the forced closure of a church in West Java, the suicide bombing of a church in Central Java, Baha’is detained on charges of proselytizing in East Java, sectarian tensions reemerging in Ambon, and individuals who murdered defenseless Ahmadiyah Muslims were handed light sentences.

USCIRF noted that the influence of extremist groups far exceeded their size or electoral appeal and applauded Yudhoyono’s public defense of religious tolerance.

“Nevertheless, religious leaders and civil society representatives have expressed to us their lack of confidence in the Indonesian government’s ability to address fully ongoing issues of police impunity or societal violence.

“In some parts of Indonesia a culture of impunity exists in which extremist groups operate with little or no consequences, harassing places of worship, extorting protection money from religious minorities, and pressuring local officials to detain and restrict allegedly heterodox religious groups. Such situations are the main source of religious freedom abuses in Indonesia and undermine faith in Indonesian democracy and court system.”

Leo urged Obama to speak out publicly about why religious freedom protections were critical to bilateral relations and “pivotal to the development of free, prosperous, and peaceful societies.”

“We believe that the vast majority of Indonesians will warmly receive this message. We also urge the Administration to develop with Indonesia a regular human rights dialogue. Such a dialogue would establish a structure through which rule of law and human rights concerns, including religious freedom restrictions and violations, could be discussed.”


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