wfn.org | Visit to Indonesia

[Sheila MESA <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Press Release
For Immediate Use
27 January 1999

CHURCH VISIT TO INDONESIA

A World Council of Churches (WCC)/Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
team will visit Indonesia 28 January - 3 February.

The visit follows concerns raised by delegates from Indonesian
churches at the WCC Eighth Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe, last
December.  The concerns relate to the destruction of churches and
church property, violence in Indonesia and the question of
self-determination for Irian Jaya.

The Assembly agreed an ecumenical delegation should visit Indonesia at
the earliest opportunity.  

The WCC has followed events in Indonesia since the May 1998 riots in
which over a thousand people lost their lives and property worth millions
of Rupiah was destroyed.  Economic uncertainty and continuing violence
has further aggravated the situation.  Incidences of church burnings and
attacks on Christian and Chinese ethnic minorities are of particular
concern to the Council.

The WCC has also followed the situation in the troubled provinces of
Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya.

The forthcoming visit will be a pastoral one and an expression of
solidarity with the churches and people of Indonesia.  The team will seek
to learn how Indonesian churches are responding to their situation and
what the worldwide ecumenical community might do to support them in
their work.

The 10-person team will travel to various parts of Indonesia including
Irian Jaya and Central Sulwesa.  The team will meet church and civic
leaders, and is expected also to hold talks with senior government
ministers including the President of Indonesia, Mr. B. J. Habibie.

Team members:

World Council of Churches:
Rev. David Gill, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in
Australia
Dr Jochen Motte, Human Rights Officer, United Evangelical Mission,
Germany
Rev. Dick Nicholai, General Secretary, Board of Mission, Netherlands
Reformed Church
Mr Clement John, Executive Officer, International Affairs, WCC

Christian Conference of Asia:
Dr Mathews George Chunakara, Executive Secretary, International
Affairs, CCA
Rev. Dr Tso Man King, General Secretary, Hong Kong Christian Council
Rev. Ebenezer Joseph, General Secretary, National Christian Council of
Sri Lanka
Mrs Sophia Lizares-Bodegon, National Council of Churches in the
Philippines
Mr Mok Cheh Liang, Vice-President, Council of Churches in Malaysia
Rev. Max Reid, Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand

The team's itinerary is being arranged by the Communion of Churches in
Indonesia (PGI).  The media contact during the visit is PGI General
Secretary, Rev. Dr Joseph Pattiasina.  Telephone: +61.21.390.8118. 
E-mail <pgi@bit.net.id>

**********
The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 338, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions.  The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but
works cooperatively with the WCC.  The highest governing body is the
Assembly, which meets approximately every seven years.  The WCC
was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Its staff is
headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church
in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Press and Information Office
Tel:  (41.22) 791.61.52/51
Fax:  (41.22) 798 13 46
E-Mail: jwn@wcc-coe.org
http://www.wcc-coe.org

P.O. Box 2100
CH-1211 Geneva 2