Displaying items by tag: Indonesia

Thursday, 15 February 2024 22:13

Indonesia: ex-army strongman claims election victory

Former army general Prabowo Subianto, 72, has claimed victory in Indonesia’s presidential election with nearly 60% of the vote, according to unofficial results from state-owned Antara, CNN Indonesia, and Reuters. Prabowo has said, ‘I will nurture, protect and defend all the people of Indonesia, regardless of their background’. He also urged his supporters to remain calm, to prevent a repeat of 2019's deadly riots. Indonesia, home to over 200 million voters, faced logistical challenges due to its vast geography and diverse population. Young voters played a significant role in the election. Prabowo’s military past, linked to alleged human rights violations and ties to Suharto's regime, remains contentious. Despite losses in previous elections, he joined forces with former president Joko Widodo’s son Gibran, a move criticised for potential nepotism. The transformation from military figure to democratic supporter has marked his political career, culminating in this victory and a new chapter in Indonesian politics.

Published in Worldwide

In Indonesia's West Papua, rebel leader Eganius Koyega's group kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens on 7 February 2023, demanding impossible conditions for his release. Koyega is a member of the West Papuan National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, which seeks independence. Photos show Mehrtens growing thinner and more unkempt, most often surrounded by fighters armed with guns and bows and arrows. Koyega, known for brutal tactics, has so far evaded Indonesian soldiers despite clashes. TPNPB leaders are urging him to free him for humanity's sake. New Zealand's reluctance to negotiate directly complicates rescue efforts, while Indonesia's military-driven approach has proved ineffective.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 13 July 2023 23:55

Indonesia: Java

Java is not the largest island in Indonesia, but it has the largest population. Praise God that the Church on Java continues to grow. Nearly 50% of Chinese-descent Indonesians and 5% of Javanese are Christian. The many religions of Java historically tolerated each other. But this has changed. Persecution now comes in the form of laws that prevent Christians from building, which sometimes results in the destruction of churches and Christian property. Christians of many traditions now draw together for prayer, worship, and mutual support: and the love among them attracts many Muslims to Christ, despite the persecution. Christian love for the needy and most vulnerable people in society has a powerful effect. Pray for the unreached people groups, including the 34 million Sunda who profess Islam but have underlying animism and traditional beliefs. They are one of the largest unevangelised groups in the world.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 07 July 2023 09:42

Indonesia: challenges to Christians

Church building in Indonesia is subject to onerous requirements, including the requirement to get signatures from 60 neighbouring households - each of which must be non-Christian - before permission to construct a church building can be granted. Often Islamist groups engage in lobbying local authorities and communities to try to prevent churches from being built, despite the support for religious freedom voiced by the central government. Pray that Christians will be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves in navigating these difficulties (Matthew 10:16). President Widodo’s government successfully dissolved two hard-line Islamist organisations, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia and Islamic Defenders Front. However, a new group has now emerged - the Islamic Reformist Movement, funded by Saudi Arabia. Hostility from Muslims towards Christians varies across Indonesia, a vast country comprising thousands of islands. Even if the central government supports Christians, provincial and local authorities may be hostile.

Published in Worldwide

‘Help me, I am being tortured by my employer. I'm covered in blood every day, help me!’ Meriance Kabu wrote, then folded the note and threw it out of the locked iron gates of the apartment where she worked as a live-in maid. A passer-by found it and took it to a retired police officer. ‘If she had stayed there, she would have died,’ he later said. That same day Malaysian police knocked on the door of the apartment Meriance hadn't left in eight months. ‘I felt as if I was falling,’ she says, recalling when she saw the officers. ‘They said, “Don't be afraid, we are here”. At that moment I felt like I could breathe again. The officers called me closer and I told them the truth.’ Her story contained distressing details. Nine years later she still fights for justice. Recently Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to improve the conditions of Indonesian domestic workers. Indonesia is lobbying for the case against Meriance's employer to be resumed.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 08 December 2022 20:44

Indonesia: volcanic eruption

Mount Semeru on Java has erupted and sparked 2,500 evacuations, mostly on motorcycles. The volcano’s warning status escalated to the highest level on 4 December. The next day a giant cloud of grey ash engulfed the mountain and surrounding rice paddy fields, roads and bridges, turning the sky black, and a pyroclastic flow of lava, rocks and hot gases gushed down the mountainside. Volcanic ash mixed with monsoon rain fell on six nearby villages, and everyone was evacuated by rescuers. Semeru is the highest and most active Java volcano. Pray for the evacuated who do not know what they will discover when they return from the high alert situation.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 24 November 2022 21:15

Indonesia: earthquake disaster

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit Indonesia, killing 271 with hundreds still missing 3 days later. Around 22,000 houses were damaged. 169,000 people were affected, 1,000+ injured, and 58,000 scattered to evacuee points. One village was buried under a landslide. Landslides and rough terrain blocked roads and damaged bridges, preventing rescuers for 24 hours from reaching survivors with excavators and equipment to move concrete and dig them out. Pray for patients needing immediate treatment or surgery; for the health ministry implementing emergency triage procedures; for frame tents, folding beds for carrying patients, operational kits, medicines, masks for adults and children, and body bags. See Six-year-old Azka Maulana Malik was rescued from the rubble of his family home three days after the earthquake destroyed the area. There are still 151 people missing. Pray that more people, not bodies, will be found in the debris, as monsoon rain hinders rescuers.

Published in Worldwide

Rita and Zairus felt called by God to serve in a remote area occupied by a predominantly Muslim tribe who are very strict about observing Islamic laws and customs. This tribe desperately needs the gospel, but workers must be extremely careful in evangelising to such highly religious communities so that the people they want to reach do not reject them. The platform they use to reach them is a beach café where many locals gather. They have been successful selling light snacks, and will soon expand their menu. Many locals gather at their café, and Rafi and Zairus are building positive relationships with many in the community. Their goal is for these relationships to lead to opportunities to share the gospel. One of the few believers in their community said, ‘I am very grateful for this café. May it be God’s plan to save our area.’

Published in Praise Reports
Thursday, 21 April 2022 20:56

Indonesia: Sumatra’s lost people group

Over 220 million Indonesians are Muslim, 87% of the population. Christians are 8% of the population and live mainly in the major cities and the eastern Indonesian islands. Despite being a recognised religion Christians are persecuted, particularly in Aceh on the island of Sumatra where they apply Shari’a law instead of Indonesian law. Acehnese strongly oppose anyone who has converted to Christianity. There are 0.12% Christian and 0.00% evangelical Acehnese. Pray for missionaries to reach the Acehnese with the love of Christ so that many will know and believe Jesus died to pay for their sins and rose from the dead. Pray for them to understand the weight of their sin and that doing good works doesn’t erase their sins. Pray for the few Christians there to understand the imperishable inheritance they have in Jesus. See

Published in Worldwide
Wednesday, 15 December 2021 20:46

Indonesia: pray for the unreached

Some villagers thought it was just flooding, but it was searing, volcanic mud. We recently prayed for Indonesians on Java where Mount Semeru catastrophically erupted, killing dozens, burying whole communities, and making thousands homeless. Disasters are common across Indonesia’s islands - displacing millions by volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and floods. Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population: most of its 260 million people face tragedies without the hope of Jesus Christ. Those who choose to follow Jesus frequently face persecution from neighbors, family, and friends. As the people grieve another natural disaster, may increasing numbers be introduced to the only Hope of the world - Jesus Christ. Pray for Christians to boldly demonstrate and proclaim the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ. Pray for peace and protection for believers amid growing Islamic momentum and expansion. Pray for entire families to put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Published in Worldwide
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