In the town of Poso in the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi, sectarian violence against the local Protestant minority has flared up again. On Sunday night, unidentified perpetrators set fire to the church in Madale. Members of the congregation reacted quickly and managed to prevent the fire from spreading, limiting the damage to the buildings. The anti-Christian attack happened "around midnight" according to Poso police chief Eko Santoso, confirming that the incident was religiously motivated. Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world, but in the Poso district there is a large Christian minority. The conflict between the two sides has been bloody with thousands of deaths on both sides until a peace agreement was reached in 2002.
The fire at the church started when a collection box was doused with kerosene and then set on fire. The flames spread to the priest's home. Only the intervention of the fire brigade and volunteers prevented the fire from spreading and causing serious damage to the two buildings. Pastor Aben thanked the villagers, including a number of Muslims, who had come to the rescue and played a crucial role in preventing the fire from spreading.
On October 22, two car bombs exploded near a police checkpoint. Three people were injured, including two police officers who were on duty when it happened. Investigators believe that the checkpoint was the target of the explosion.
"The terrorists used sophisticated equipment and detonated the bomb remotely using a mobile device," police said.
In recent weeks, Poso has experienced renewed sectarian violence. There have been attacks on buildings owned by Christians, including church buildings.
Likewise, two police officers have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. They disappeared while investigating a recent attack on a prominent member of the Christian community. Their bodies were found eight days later on the side of the road near a training center with links to an extremist Muslim group.
Between 1997 and 2001, Christians and Muslims were involved in a violent conflict on the island of Sulawesi and the nearby Moluccas archipelago. Thousands of people died and hundreds of churches and mosques were destroyed. Thousands of homes were also destroyed. Around half a million people were made homeless, including 25,000 in Poso alone.
On December 20, 2001, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire that was signed in Malino, South Sulawesi, following a government peace initiative. The local population is divided equally between Christians and Muslims.
