U.S. House Unanimously Passes North Korea Human Rights Act [Chosun Journal]

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed on Wednesday (local time) the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, which calls for the U.S. government to be actively involved in the North Korean human rights issue and protect North Korean defectors. [more]

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Death Toll Rises in Sulawesi, Indonesia

Two Christian women shot, one stabbed to death in retaliation slayings.

by Sarah Page

Jakarta, July 22 (Compass) -- Christians from many church backgrounds in Palu, Indonesia, attended a funeral on July 20 for Rev. Susianty Tinulele, age 26, and Desrianti Tengkede, 17. Both were victims of a drive-by shooting that occurred at their church on Sunday, July 18.

Tinulele had just finished preaching to the congregation of the Efatah Central Sulawesi Christian Church (GKST) on that Sunday evening when a man wearing a black mask appeared at the door and sprayed the congregation with machine gun fire. Tinulele was killed instantly.

Tengkede received a bullet in the forehead that passed through her right eye and into her brain. Four other worshipers were also hit. Kris Midianto, aged 18, was shot in his right thigh. Farid Mehingko, 15, was hit in his left knee and a female choir member known as Lustiani, also 15, was shot in her left thigh. The victims were immediately taken to the hospital. Tengkede remained in a critical condition for several hours, but died in the early hours of Monday morning, July 19. Eyewitnesses said three other men accompanied the man responsible for the shooting, and waited on motorbikes outside the church. Initial accounts are unclear as to whether any of them joined in the shooting, although witnesses said at least two of them carried machine guns. All four wore black masks, and all fled the scene immediately after the shooting.

Tinulele, or Susi as she was known, was recently ordained as a minister in the GKST church. In a press release issued July 19, Ian Freestone of the Australian organization Cry Indonesia said Tinulele was an active supporter of Rev. Rinaldy Damanik, another GKST minister who is currently imprisoned on what many believe are false charges.

 Damanik is a key signatory of the Malino Peace Accord, signed by Christian and Muslim representatives in December 2001 as an effort to end sectarian violence that began in Sulawesi in 1998.

Tinulele had visited Damanik in prison July 16, two days before she was shot. Ferry Silalahi, a Christian lawyer who defended Damanik in court, was also shot and killed on May 25, 2004, as he and his wife left a house church meeting.  Many local Christians believe the Efatah shooting was directly related to the July 16 murder of a young Muslim motorcyclist.

The body of 25-year-old Melky was discovered in Pandiri Atas village, approximately 18 Km. from Poso city, at around 6.30 p.m. that day. Melky had been stabbed many times on his torso, hands, neck and head. Melky frequently carried passengers from Poso to Tentena. At approximately 1 p.m. that Friday, eyewitnesses saw Melky driving toward Tentena on his motorbike carrying a Christian passenger named Yonatan, 23. Other witnesses reported seeing Yonatan driving the motorbike alone about half an hour later. Based on this report, police arrested Yonatan on July 18 and charged him with killing Melky and hiding the body. They believe Yonatan drove back to Kawua and from there to Pancasila village, although there are no witnesses to support these claims.

On July 17, a 35-year-old Christian woman was stabbed to death in what sources believe was an initial act of retaliation for Melky’s death.
Mrs. Helmy Tombiling and her husband James Harimisa ran a small business in front of their home in Poso, selling gasoline. The couple was known for their Christian beliefs. According to eyewitnesses, Tombiling emerged from her house Saturday as two men driving motorbikes with Palu license plates pulled up outside the house. She approached them assuming they were looking to purchase gasoline, but the men immediately turned on Tombiling and stabbed her to death, according to witnesses. Descriptions of the murderers closely resemble the description of those involved in the Efatah church shooting the following day. Sources say the timing and modus operandi of the attackers show that they were well-trained professionals who have waited for the right moment -- and the right pretext -- to attack the Christian community. The killings are the latest in a series of violent incidents in Central and North Sulawesi committed over the past few months.

 On March 30, Pastor Freddy Wuisan from the town of Membuke was shot and killed after answering a knock on his front door. That same day, the Christian dean of the School of Law at Sintuwu Moroso University in Poso was fatally shot. On Easter weekend, masked gunmen on motorbikes shot and seriously injured seven people at the Tabernacle church in Kilo, near Poso township. Meanwhile, Christians mourning the deaths of Tinulele and Tengkede have asked the international community to pray for peace.

 Copyright 2004 Compass Direct

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