*Tato a další zprávy jsou (pouze v aktuální den) v originální anglické verzi zde.

Last week the Indonesian Supreme Court upheld the August 2002 decision by Indonesia's ad hoc court on East Timor to acquit the five Indonesian officials implicated in the 1999 massacre of civilians in an East Timor church. The five were accused of involvement in the Sept. 6, 1999, Suai church massacre in which up to 200 civilians, including three priests, were killed. "The Indonesian judicial system has failed to prosecute the East Timor cases seriously, and now the highest court in the land has applied the final coat of whitewash," said Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division. "Indonesia should be embarrassed at its failure to successfully prosecute one of the worst crimes in a catalogue of atrocities while at the same time the U.N.-backed court in Dili, East Timor, is pursuing prosecutions against the same men," he added. The five defendants included Indonesian military officers, a police official and a district head. They were among 16 men named in an April 2, 2003, indictment filed by the U.N Serious Crimes Unit in Dili. The U.N. indictment comprises 27 counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, enforced disappearance, torture and deportations. The Indonesian government has vowed not to extradite anyone to the U.N.-backed courts in Dili. The Indonesian Supreme Court decision effectively ensures that there will be no judicial accounting of the massacre in Indonesia. (Religious Media Agency)

CHRISTIANS FACE INCREASING RISKS IN IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA

Fears are increasing that the Christian inhabitants of Irian Jaya in eastern Indonesia may soon find themselves in the crosshairs of Muslim militants. The indigenous people of Irian Jaya are Melanesian and predominantly nominal Christians. For the last 40 years the territory has been administered as a province of Indonesia. Recently, despite a 2001 decree granting autonomy to the area, it has been subdivided into three provinces against the will of its native inhabitants. Javanese migration to the region has also shifted its religious demography, so that two of the three new provinces may soon have Muslim majorities. A number of individuals implicated in the East Timor massacres of 1999 reportedly have moved to Irian Jaya. Eurico Guterres, sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the massacres, has established a new militia, Laskar Merah Putih, numbering more than 200 soldiers in Irian Jaya. Inspector General Timbul Silaen, East Timor's former police chief who was accused (but found not guilty) of crimes against humanity and gross human rights abuses in 1999, is the new police chief of Irian Jaya. (Missions Insider)

CRIPPLED TURKISH BELIEVER POINTS OUT ATTACKERS IN COURT

Four months after a Turkish convert to Christianity was beaten into a coma for distributing New Testaments in his hometown in northwestern Turkey, the crippled victim appeared in court on Thursday, Feb. 12, to identify his accused attackers. Yakup Cindilli, 32, managed to walk into the Orhangazi Courthouse, shuffling slowly and clinging to a family member for support. He spoke only in short phrases with some difficulty, in a slightly mumbled voice. Under questioning from a judge of the Orhangazi Criminal Court, Cindilli pointed out three men he said had beaten him at the local office of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on Oct. 19, 2003. They attacked him for distributing New Testaments and "doing missionary work." All three of the men identified by Cindilli were jailed initially on charges of assault and battery a few days after the attack. Metin Yildiran, president of the local MHP chapter, was released by court order a month later while suspects Ibrahim Sekman and Huseyin Bektas were held at Gemlik Prison for nearly three months (until Jan. 14). All three of the suspects categorically denied Cindilli's accusations. Yildiran told the judge that the MHP office had been closed at the time of the incident. Cindilli, 32, converted to Christianity two years ago after contacting a prayer hotline ministry run by Turkish Christians. His conservative Muslim family adamantly opposes his conversion. Although the family cannot afford to hire a lawyer or obtain physical and psychological therapy for him, they remain reluctant to allow any contact or assistance from Turkish Christians. (Compass)

POLITICAL UNREST IN HAITI PUTS SHORT-TERM MISSIONS ON HOLD

The unrest that has plagued Haiti has caused problems for many ministries. Young Life's Chad Edwards says Haiti is one of the organization's newer fields, opening in 1999. "It really has exploded with two full-time staff people and two administrative people overseeing 11 clubs and 60 volunteer leaders," he says. While the clubs are doing well, the recent coup has caused disruptions for the outreach. "We had planned a short-term trip to Haiti to build our first Young Life Club room," says Edwards. "That trip had to be canceled because of the political unrest, but our leaders report that the Young Life work is continuing even in the midst of political turmoil." Edwards says this type of political unrest and uncertainty forces people to think about their eternal future. "When you're in situations that have such instability, people are looking for a constant," he says. "When we have people that walk alongside these teenagers and talk about a God who's never changing and try to introduce them to a relationship with a personal God, there seems to be an incredible openness."

Meanwhile, Tim DeVries, Latin America director for the Bible League, reported that the ministry's office in Port-au-Prince reopened on Wednesday, March 3, after being closed due to the fighting. "For a week the staff couldn't reach the office due to the blockades," he said. "Buildings all around the office were damaged, but out office was not damaged, and nothing was stolen, so we're grateful to the Lord for His protection." DeVries adds that the unrest has opened ministry opportunities in Haiti. "Since the beginning of January we've been doing more ministry instead of less." (Mission Network News/Bible League)

* Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., are working with OMS International to establish a satellite radio network, based at 4VEH outside the city of Cap-Haitien, that will deliver programs to FM stations nationwide. Downlinks have been installed in Turtle Island and Pignon, and at least three more are planned as the situation stabilizes. Meanwhile, 4VEH continues to broadcast a message of hope from an AM station and two FM stations. HCJB World Radio also helped partner World Gospel Mission with a small station in Port-au-Prince.

ANIMIST PRIESTS IN NIGERIAN TOWN OPENLY TURN TO CHRIST

Animists Juju priests in a remote Nigerian town have openly denounced their spirits and embraced Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Their central hall, formerly used for Juju worship, has been dedicated to Christ and now serves as a church building. About 625 community residents joined in praise and worship there, and local Nigerian missionaries have been asked to set up a living church in the community. Sixteen workers are now engaged in daily evangelization in the town. They move from house to house, counseling residents and answering their questions, teaching Scripture, and leading individuals and entire families to God. House-care fellowships are being formed and this town, formerly known for its pagan practices, is now an outpost of Christ's kingdom. (Missions Insider)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs to Nigeria in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003 weekly broadcasts were added in two additional languages, Yoruba and Hausa.

'NEW GENERATION' YOUTHS EVANGELIZE SCHOOLS IN SCANDINAVIA

An energetic band of young Christians is aggressively evangelizing students in Scandinavian schools to counter an increasingly secular Europe. Started at Oslo University in 1996, New Generation has more than 10,000 participants who view their schools throughout Norway and Sweden as a mission field. Generally, each principal determines how much evangelistic freedom students are given, though invitations for salvation must be done one-on-one. Students have been able to lead outreach events and hold prayer meetings on their campuses because they are part of the school milieu. New Generation students seek creative ways of evangelizing. Swedish national leader Joakim Lundqvist said that one team raised more than $12,000 in just three weeks -- enough to purchase Bibles as Christmas gifts for all their schoolmates. Not content just to hand out Bibles, the group wrapped each Bible and included a personal greeting. "Our goal in Sweden is to present Jesus to every student, every year," Lundqvist said. "School is where everyone is; the whole coming society is there. We want to see New Generation in every school." The first New Generation International Conference -- set for Sept. 29-Oct. 3 in Gothenburg, Sweden -- is expected to spur global interest. (Religion Today/Charisma News Service)

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