The persecuted Christians you don't see on the news

A demonstration in Sydney, Australia Reuters

A new report carries allegations of discrimination and violence being carried out against a Christian community in West Papua – a province of Indonesia.

The majority of people in the province are Christians. But since the area was taken over by the Indonesian government in 1963, there have been reports of persecution against Christians.

Indonesia overall has a majority Muslim population.

A new report by an Australian Catholic organisation seeks to throw light on allegations of arrests, poisoning, fire bombs, kidnapping, torture and other attacks. There are also reports of lower-level disruption of Christians' lives and their freedom of worship – such as police dispersing believers at prayer meetings.

The report says: "The Indonesians want to replace the Christian religion with Islam. Many mosques are being built everywhere. They want Papua to be a Javanese Malay nation. Radicalisation is happening in Papua, with some militias very active near the border with PNG." It carries on: "They burn down the Papuan houses. They are recruited as illegal loggers. Their camps and logging are well protected by the military."

article,article,article,article Related

A report from persecution charity Open Doors has further information on West Papua. It says: "Newer evangelical churches... began to hold mass religious rallies, locally known as KKRs, in public places. Often these meetings featured testimonies from Muslim converts. Muslim residents objected to the KKRs and responded by publicly questioning basic tenets of the Christian faith, such as the divinity of Jesus, further compounding tensions."

The worry for Christians in West Papua is part of a wider movement to gain freedom from Indonesia for the province. Violence has periodically flared up and campaigners regularly protest against continued Indonesian rule.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has also issued a briefing on the area. It says: "The militarisation of West Papua has led to widespread and serious violations of human rights, and there are fears of religious tensions developing. CSW advocates dialogue between the Indonesian Government and representatives of the West Papuan people, demilitarisation, and an end to the violations of human rights."

related articles
The forgotten Christians who faced persecution in 2015

The forgotten Christians who faced persecution in 2015

Open Doors: Syria and Iraq are 'the tip of the iceberg' – there has never been a worse time to be a Christian

Open Doors: Syria and Iraq are 'the tip of the iceberg' – there has never been a worse time to be a Christian

Christians face obscene persecution – let\'s not be afraid to say so
Christians face obscene persecution – let's not be afraid to say so

Christians face obscene persecution – let's not be afraid to say so

'Convert or leave': Minority Muslim group threatened in Indonesia as persecution grows

'Convert or leave': Minority Muslim group threatened in Indonesia as persecution grows

News
'Being Church in a time of conflict' - Church of England confronts global threats
'Being Church in a time of conflict' - Church of England confronts global threats

Members of the Church of England’s General Synod arrived in York yesterday for five days of deliberation and discussion.  

What does true freedom look like?
What does true freedom look like?

In today’s world, “freedom” is often defined as the ability to act, speak, or think however we want. But Scripture offers a radically different, and far deeper, understanding of freedom.

NHS urged to engage meaningfully with faith groups
NHS urged to engage meaningfully with faith groups

Engagement should be more than "tokenistic", says FaithAction.

Community-led school in South Sudan brings 'spring of hope' during humanitarian crisis
Community-led school in South Sudan brings 'spring of hope' during humanitarian crisis

Fourteen years after gaining independence, a community-driven initiative is igniting hope for a better future through education in South Sudan.