In the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st Century (so far), Indonesia has been blotted out by smoke. And the media. I’ve often wondered how the media would respond when eco-apocalypse struck. I pictured the news programmes producing brief, sensational reports, while failing to explain why it was happening or how it might be stopped. Read more
About 8,000 Catholics packed an open coastal area on the west side of Dili, Timor Lesté’s capital, to mark 500 years of the Church’s presence in the island nation. The Aug 15 Mass was held at Tasitolu, the site of a 1989 Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II. Catholics came from all over the Read more
West Papua is hoping New Zealand will support its call for a fact finding team to be sent to the region to look into human rights abuses by Indonesia. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua is an observer member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and wants similar status at the Pacific Islands Forum. Papua Read more
Nick Watt, the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Whanganui was a character witness at the Denpasar, Indonesia, court in early June during Anthony de Malmanche’s trial. de Malmanche was found guilty on Tuesday and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Watt says he has known de Malmanche for four years and been his minister Read more
As Indonesia prepares to execute up to 11 prisoners, including two Australians, a Brazilian and a Nigerian national, amid international uproar, the spotlight has been thrown on the use of the death penalty in the country. There are dozens more prisoners on death row and the government has declared there will be no mercy for Read more
A Brazilian man executed by firing squad in Indonesia was denied the chance to have Catholic last rites before his death. Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, 53, was executed on January 18 at on Nusakambangan, Indonesia’s execution island Moreira was sentenced to death in 2004 after attempting to smuggle 13.4 kilograms of cocaine into Indonesia. The Read more
Churches in Fiji and the region are throwing their voices behind self determination for West Papua. Their support comes as the PIDF hosted Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at its second summit in Nadi last week. Indonesia has maintained rule in West Papua since 1969 and has in the past been accused of widespread human Read more
Church leaders attending a workshop, Rethinking the Household of God, which was held in the Solomon Islands at the beginning of June have agreed to actively support the struggle for political independence of the people of West Papua. The call comes a week before Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attends the Pacific Islands Development Forum Read more
Under pressure from Islamic extremists, a civil court in West Java, Indonesia, has revoked the building permit for a Catholic Church in Cibubur. The court president decided to revoke the permit to avoid sectarian violence. Continue reading
Last week Indonesia’s National police chief Sutarman said extremists may be planning terror attackson Christians at Christmas and New Year celebrations in Jakarta and other parts of the country. “The terrorists have cells everywhere and they are active. We are continuing to pursue them,” Sutarman, told reporters in Jakarta. Since 2000, when improvised bombs disguised as Read more