Islamic Riots - Indonesia

March 1997
We examine the rising tensions in Indonesia.

A Buddhist temple is engulfed in flames as a frenzied mob yells abuse. They have found a target for their anger: the 3% Chinese population which controls 70% of private wealth. Saturday night in Jakarta: the rich attend the opening of Fashion Café. Ethnic Chinese rub shoulders with Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell. Miles away in a rural kampong, a young ethnic Indonesian tells bitterly of how her parents' home was bulldozed to make way for development. Muslim and impoverished, she blames the Chinese for her problems. Chipping away at his handicap on manicured golf course, Chinese billionaire, Bob Hasan, denounces the rioting as "communist motivated" and "small, small". But Brabit Medatema shows us the charred and blackened interior of the Buddhist temple he helped to build. When his home was attacked by the mob all he could do was escape with his family. Huddling in church, Chinese Christians fared no better. In an attempt to quell increasing resentment, many Chinese are converting to Islam. Without bodyguards and high walls, the ordinary Chinese pay the price for the success of their wealthier compatriots.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Islamic
• Riots
• Indonesia
• Religion
• theology
• Jakarta
• Chinese
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[KevinR3i]

From my Opinion, Buddhism is the most peaceful group on earth, you must be crazy to burn the temple,I am Christian, so don't insult me, _|_ I......m

[HardcoreHalalHater]

Is it possible the problem is Islam itself?

[adaeyes]

THE MOST SAVAGE RELIGIOUS ARE MUSLIM, back in the history of mouhamad. come on read the shitttt

[umarazhan1]

@CrossoverBeast no they're not shit country. they're a great country. though they need someone to lead them to development

[umarazhan1]

@MohammedTheBabyRaper well whoever made up the story that non-muslims are supposed to be killed, they're the one who are supposed to die

[amerimashiro]

This was not a religious conflict but a kind of ethnic and economic one. The biased Australian news used this tragedy for racist Islam bashing.

[RonnieNolanRaharjo]

@sherwarz Wrong, it's not 70% of the nation's wealth, it's 70% of the nation's private capital. Which means that the public sector, including government-owned enterprises with monopolies, are not included. And that 70% is also very controversial.

[CrossoverBeast]

@BuDaKPuTiH30 No you get lost asshole. 

[BuDaKPuTiH30]

@CrossoverBeast Good indeed..get lost!!

[abuidriscarko]

wrong if the problem connected with Islamic unrest because of this ethnic problem, not a religious issue

[MohammedTheBabyRaper]

They're fucking Muslims. What do you expect? As long as there is one single infidel left alive on the planet, it is the Muslim's sacred duty to kill or subjugate (enslave) that person.

You can't reason with that.