JAKARTA, Indonesia — Religious violence between Muslims and Christians, which has killed about 2,000 people in Indonesia in the past year, has intensified in recent weeks, leading some observers to believe the nation may be on the brink of a collapse. At least 40 lives have been lost in recent days, according to news reports.
Fighting flared Jan. 23 on the island of Haruku when a Muslim mob reportedly attacked and burned a church. Two days earlier, about 600 Christians fled the resort island of Lombok after three days of anti-Christian rioting there left five people dead. Many of the nation’s Christians are also part of Indonesia’s Chinese minority, who are prominent in business and often the target of public resentment.
About 3,000 Christians reportedly sought refuge in military and police bases in Lombok as rioters ransacked churches, houses and businesses abandoned by their Christian owners, the Associated Press (AP) reported Jan. 19. The local airport was crowded with Christians trying to leave for the neighboring island of Bali, Indonesia’s premier tourist spot.
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