Reverend Kongkoli was shot dead this morning in Palu when a bullet struck the nape of his neck. Tensions remain high in the province of Central Sulawesi after the execution of three Catholics in September. The local governor said he believes the murder is linked to the execution but that it was not down to "hostility" between Christians and Muslims.
Palu (AsiaNews) This morning's slaying of a Protestant pastor in the tormented province of Central Sulawesi is linked to the September execution of three Indonesian Catholics. This is the conviction of the provincial governor, H.B. Paliudju, who however excludes the possibility of "hostility" between the Christian and Muslim communities in the area.
Reverend Irianto Kongkoli, chairman of the Central Sulawesi Churches of Synod (GKST) was killed by a group of armed men who shot him in the nape of the neck at around 8.45 (local time) in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. The 40-year-old priest was shopping in a ceramics shops when he was shot by the men who approached from behind on a motorcycle. He was rushed to the RS Bala Keselamatan Hospital where doctors battled in vain to save his life.
Reverend Kongkoli had recently taken over at the helm of the GKST. His predecessor Rinaldy Damanik stepped down after failing in his campaign to free
Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Da Silva and Marinus Riwa, who were executed by firing squad on 22 September in Palu despite international criticism. The three Catholics were held to be responsible for the death of several Muslims during inter-faith clashes in Poso in 2000. Several human rights groups and religious leaders came out against the sentence, describing it as "unjust", the outcome of a trial marred by pressure from Muslim fundamentalists. Their death paved the way for violent protests in the province, where the memory still lingers of clashes that raged between Christians and Muslims between 1999 and 2001.
Kongkoli was an important local religious leader: he never hesitated to speak out against police and the local authorities who fell short of conducting proper inquiries into sectarian violence. The pastor always struggled for peace and harmony in the region and supported interfaith dialogue.
H.B. Paliudju, governor of Central Sulawesi said: "The murder is connected to the execution of Tibo and consequent protests of the Christian community." He added: "Kongkoli was always at the side of Rev. Damanik, a strong opponent of the death penalty handed down to the three Catholics." The governor maintained that the motive for the murder could be "revenge" but he "absolutely" excluded that this was a matter of "hostility between communities".
Today Paliudju will participate in a meeting behind closed doors with Indonesian ministers and MPs, members of the police and Intelligence corps, as well as military commanders.