December
9, 2006: The Indonesian parliament passed a law that requires every citizen to
declare what their religion is. However, only six religions are recognized
(Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism). Many
Indonesians still practice traditional (pagan) religions, and others following
modern religions not "officially recognized" fear persecution. Some
90 percent of the 220 million Indonesians are Moslem. The new law is seen as a
ploy by Islamic conservatives to halt the spread of religions that seek
converts (increasingly successfully) among Moslems. There is also a growing
split between Islamic conservatives (influenced by hardcore Arabian Islamic
practices) and the more traditional Indonesian approach to Islam (which incorporated
many pre-Islamic religious practices.)
December
8, 2006: In East Timor, police and New Zealand peacekeepers confronted several
gangs, and when they encountered violence, arrested 17 people. The gangs have
been out of control, especially since the unemployment rate is over 30 percent,
and there are lots of young men looking for economic opportunities (legal or
otherwise.)
In
Papua, Indonesian security forces clashed with tribal separatists, leaving one
soldier and one rebel dead.
December
4, 2006: The government has made a number of deals with Russia. One includes
buying about a billion dollars worth of weapons. Others involves assistance in
building nuclear power plants, and working with Russia to get the best price
for Indonesian oil.
December
1, 2006: In East Timor, the UN is taking over responsibility for policing the
entire country. This came after negotiations between the East Timor government
and the UN. It was all because the newly reconstituted East Timor police force
was not up to the task, and had allowed the crime rate to keep going up. There
are currently about a thousand UN police in the country, with another 600 on
the way. The UN police will maintain order, as well as training East Timorese
police.
