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On November 22 Muslim mobs that burned 13 churches and killed 13 people during inter-religious violence. Christian leaders warned their congregations not to retaliate against the attack.
Dr. Sularso Sopater, chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches, called on Christians to "fight for a life of togetherness."
Privately, local Christian leaders admit to fearing that the latest victims of the violence-Ambonese Catholic Christians-might retaliate in kind. Ethnic Ambonese are notoriously violent, with codes of bloodletting and vengeance a part of their culture.
"Many of them are barely Christian-they were headhunters yesterday-and if they go on the rampage, then chaos could be round the corner," said a Jakarta pastor.
No one yet knows for sure what triggered Sunday's events. Some say radio broadcasts spread a rumor that Ambonese Christians had razed three mosques during the night. Others claim it began with a gang fight between Ambonese and Muslims in Jakarta's Chinatown. Whatever the cause, at 10 o'clock in the morning a large mob from the Front to Defend Islam (PFI) began throwing stones at a Protestant church in Jakarta. Five minutes later they attacked, allegedly hacking three Christians to death in the sanctuary. The mob then began to fan out to attack other churches, most of which were holding Sunday services.
Reliable statistics of the damage await the report of the authoritative Indonesian Christian Communication Forum, though initial reports claim between 13-15 churches were set on fire, with possibly seven burned to the ground. Perhaps as many as 13 people died.
According to observers, the attacks were brutal and full of religious hate. Witnesses said the mob chanted, "We are Islamic gentlemen and they are Christian pigs." Others screamed, "Kill all heathens." Two victims were dragged through the streets and mutilated in front of foreign journalists. The inside of a burned-out Church of Christ building had the words "Bantai Ambon" (Kill the Ambonese) daubed in large letters.
The violence was centered in Jakarta's Chinatown, and spread to include some ethnic Chinese churches. However, the strife that occurred in May, when 1200 ethnic Chinese were killed, was averted through the swift intervention of the armed forces.
One Christian witnessed hearing the leader of the Muslim mob plead with an army commander, who was sheltering a group of Ambonese, to "stand aside and let Islamic justice prevail." The Christian said, "It was horrible. The mob were grinning and desperate for blood. They just wanted to kill someone. And all the time more and more poor people joined them, looking for opportunities to loot shops."
Islamic leaders have also condemned the violence. Though Indonesia's 210 million people are 90 percent Muslim, extremists are a minority. Most Muslim leaders wish to preserve the secular constitution in place since 1945. Yet Christians remain discriminated against, and violence directed at church buildings has risen, with over 80 churches razed or damaged in the past two years.
Church leaders, including the Roman Catholic cardinal, have wondered aloud whether the latest riots were "orchestrated." Dr. Sopater maintains that the majority of church burnings in Indonesia were the result of "intellectual actors," and extracted a promise from President B.J. Habibie to expose the hands behind the violence.
It is thought that political opportunists use Muslim mobs to create chaos in the hope that they can then force their way into power. "This is what we must pray against," said a Jakarta pastor who did not wish to be named. "If these sinister and corrupt leaders succeed, there will be chaos and many Christians, as well as others, will die."
Indonesia remains tense. The May departure of long-time dictator Suharto only brought the rule of his chosen deputy, Habibie. Students are frustrated at the slowness of political change. Elections are scheduled for April 1999, and a presidential election is scheduled for the end of 1999. The masses are frustrated at the economic crisis. Half the population lives in poverty.
"The danger of Balkanization is always with us," warned Dr. Sopater, "and only leaders and people of true tolerance can lead Indonesia away from chaos to a peaceful future." 
--from an article by Alex Buchan of Compass Direct
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