_WORLD WATCH______________________________
________________Indonesia_______________
Christians face death penalty
Charged with inciting riots
Three Christian men have been sentenced to death in the central Indonesian province of Sulawesi for fomenting violence that led to the death of hundreds of people in religious fighting.
Defendants Fabianus Tibo, Domingus da Silva, and Marianus Riwu were found guilty of organizing the killings and the burning of homes during the riots. Last year’s riots in Poso, 1,200 miles northeast of Jakarta, were reportedly sparked by a misunderstanding between rival residents, and degenerated into a sectarian conflict between Muslims and Christians, leaving more than 300 people dead during several weeks of violence.
The testimony of 28 witnesses and other evidence during the trial showed that the defendants were the key people in the killings and in the burning of homes during the riots, Chief Judge Sudarmo said. The court described the acts as inhuman and said they destroyed religious harmony in the region. The court also said the men failed to show remorse. The Christian defendants were alone in facing prosecution; no Muslims were tried in connection with the beginning of the riots.