Whatever the suspicious object was that police detonated, this was an act of intimidation, intended to "strike terror" in the hearts of unbelievers (Qur'an 8:60) in a country where attacks against churches are a very real and immediate possibility. Just ask the people of Temanggung. West Borneo: bomb threats to a church, Catholics in the crosshairs of terrorists," by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, June 22:
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church Stella Maris in Siantan Hulu, a village north of the city of Pontianak, the capital of western Borneo, is in the crosshairs of terrorists. On the evening of June 20 an anonymous phone call announced an imminent bomb attack. A woman's voice, in fact, warned of a crude bomb planted near the building. The pastor, warned by a faithful, called the bomb squad who blew up a hidden object in the trash. It has been a while since attacks against the Christian minority, although in the past there have been incidents of sectarian violence.
Interviewed by AsiaNews, Severianus Endy, a journalist in Pontianak, reports that the first phone call was addressed to a man named Beno, a Catholic pharmacist in the village. He immediately warned the pastor of Stella Maris, Fr. Sony Wengkang, who then contacted the police. "The threat came - said the priest - from an unidentified woman's voice, calling from a cell phone. The number was not hidden. "
A bomb squad immediately intervened to verify the seriousness of the threat. Rummaging in the garbage, experts found a suspicious object inside a garbage can and they detonated it. Addressing the crowd of worshipers, the pastor said that the community should be notified in case of concrete threats, at the same time he sought to soothe tensions, calling Catholics to calm and social harmony. Meanwhile, police launched an investigation to trace those responsible.
In the past, Pontianak, West Borneo, was the scene of sectarian violence. The area is inhabited mostly by Indonesians of Chinese descent and native local Dayak ethnic group, Catholics. In 1999 they were involved in violent clashes with maduranesi migrants, from the island of Madura in East Java, and mostly Muslim.
Previously, other incidents of sectarian conflicts had occurred in 1997 and 1996. Only the intervention of the Indonesian army guaranteed the return of calm and order.
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"Previously, other incidents of sectarian conflicts had occurred in 1997 and 1996..."
I remember that incident, it cause by the accumulated hostilities the Maduranesi shown toward the Dayak ethnic. The Madura were migrants from the Madura island, in West Borneo(more correctly West Kalimantan) they held most of the government positions, including the police department. The Dayak is the native of Borneo, there are 2 kinds of Dayak: 1) Dayak who live in cities and 2) Daya who live in the forests of Borneo.
It is the Dayak of cities that have been harass by the Madura for years, many Dayak girls kidnaped and murdered by the Madura, the Madura also show a milder hostilities toward the Chinese, while the Chinese are know to have good relationship with Dayak.
I remeber when the riot went on the city Dayak ask the forest Dayak to help, this forest Dayak are known for their agility, they are natural hunters and they can move stealthily in the forest, it is the forest Dayak that finally force the Maduranesis to leave Borneo island, I have many friends from Pontianak who can testify for that incident!