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Violence is not a new thing to Indonesia. It has been around for years in this multi-cultural, multi-religious country. In the mid-1960s, Suharto instigated a communist witch hunt in the nation, in which hundreds of thousands are thought to have been killed. In the days of the Dutch colonial rule, Chinese immigrants were segregated; they are seen as outsiders to this day. They make up only 4 percent of the population of Indonesia, but have a major role in the economy, and have often been the focus of violence prompted by economic woes. When student protests and riots helped oust Suharto last May, thousands of Chinese shops and homes in Jakarta were attacked. Women's groups was as many as 168 women, most of them Chinese, were raped. During that time, a total of at least 1,200 people lost their lives, many in Jakarta's Chinatown.
The violence stemming from economic and political dissatisfaction continued as another form of violence erupted in November 1998. Since that time it has been taking on the form of a war of retaliation between the Muslim population and the Christian minority. In the two weeks covering the end of November and the beginning of December, at least 25 churches and 18 mosques have been ransacked and burned by followers of rival faiths in five cities and towns across Indonesia. Social tensions continue to rise. In this sprawling island nation Islam claims 90 percent of the population with the remainder mostly Christian or Buddhist.
During Suharto's rule, he used the military to keep religious tensions in check, cracking down on violence, but now with Suharto gone, the military is left in an unstable situation, without leadership, and unsure of it's direction. Some see the military as encouraging the violence, sometimes standing by as the crowds ransack and kill. Suharto's temporary successor, President B.J. Habibie, lacks the credibility and strength he needs to control the situation. Rival political groups also are not eager to emerge with strong leaders.
Meanwhile the violence continues. In the beginning of December, demonstrations for democracy, a daily occurrence in the capital city of Jakarta, attract students as well as riot police. There is growing frustration and tensions in the country. Protestors demand democratic reform and inquiries into Suharto's alleged corruption, having amassed a $40 billion fortune during his 32-year reign. In Ujungpandang, a provincial capital east of Jakarta witnesses report seeing mobs leaving mosques after their morning prayers to set fire to Kare Catholic church, an apparent reaction to the attacks on mosques in Kupang. At the church, rioters smashed windows and set fire to pews and prayer books after ransacking the inside. On Dec. 6, 600 gathered in front of the remains of the church to worship. Rev. Van Rooy urged worshippers not to retaliate for the arson and appealed for harmony among religious groups. The town was calm, with stores open, and vendors selling their wares, but security forces lingered nearby, keeping an eye out for more violence. 
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