TENTENA, Indonesia — Church leader and peace advocate Rinaldy Damanik spent the holiday season in prison, even though Indonesian authorities cannot make a case for accusations against him.
Christian leaders fear for his safety. Since June 2000, Muslim leaders had been trying to force the arrest of Damanik, general secretary of the Protestant Church of Central Sulawesi Synod and director of the Crisis Center in Tentena.
Known as one of the most prominent Christians in the Poso region, the minister helped thwart attempts by Muslim extremists to invade the predominantly Christian community of Tentena in November 2001.
Damanik was arrested for allegedly carrying illegal weapons as he traveled between Christian communities, encouraging them and preventing them from retaliation.
Mona Saroinsong, a co-worker at the Crisis Center, said, “The real facts are that until now the police have been unable to find any evidence to bring the case to court. All files submitted by the police have been returned by the Central Sulawesi High Court as incomplete and not sufficient to make a case.”
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