Understanding the Crisis Since January 1999 there has been extensive religious conflict in the Indonesian province of Maluku. It is estimated that 10 000 people have been killed and half a million have been made homeless. On the surface it appears to be an internal conflict between Christian and Muslim, but the underlying reasons for the conflict go much deeper than this. There is strong evidence that this conflict has been provoked and continues to be provoked by forces outside of Maluku that have a political agenda. There are many within Indonesia who wish to see Indonesia's principle of religious tolerance replaced by an aggressive commitment to an Islamic State. Then there are others, for example the military, who whilst not sharing these particular political/religious sentiments, benefit from there being conflict of any sort within Indonesia's provinces. The conflict in Maluku was seriously inflamed by the arrival of thousands of Islamic Jihad, who after undergoing military training on Java, arrived unhindered and en masse in Maluku. Any chance of containing the conflict was lost as Jihad forces went from Christian village to Christian village, destroying churches, burning down homes and killing as many people as possible. Those who survived fled into the jungles, or went to neighbouring villages. Thousands fled the province by boat. Many of these went to places like Manado in North Sulawesi where there are now over 40 000 Christian refugees. They live in extremely cramped conditions, are provided with limited relief and are in great need. (Click on map to enlarge) There are also thousands of Christians within Maluku who, unable to escape and under threat of death, have been Islamised. We know of many villages that are presently trapped. Men, women and children have been forced circumcised, forced to go to the mosque, forced to marry Muslim men, and forbidden to practice the Christian faith that they still hold deep in their hearts. We have assisted in the rescue of 1500 of these, but there an estimated 7000 are still trapped in this situation. The Malino Peace Accord signed by christians and muslims in December 2001 was followed by several months of calm and hopes were high for a lasting settlement. However, with the Laskar Jihad rejecting it outright "peace" has been difficult to maintain. Since April 2002 violence has again flared in Ambon with Jihad terrorists making war on the Christian community. In Central Sulawesi during July and August, further terrorist attacks on villages have again seriously destabilised the situation there as well. The situation faced by refugees also remains critical. There is pressure from the Central Government for them to return home and yet the refugees are very concerned about issues of security, property rights, health, food and education. The plight of those trapped and forced Islamised also remains a grave concern. The situation in East Indonesia can change rapidly and we encourage you to download our latest updates or register to join our mailing list to keep abreast of recent developments.