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Christian organization assembly tackles Rohingya, Papua
The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), a regional ecumenical organization representing councils and churches in 21 countries, has voiced its concerns on various issues facing the Asia region, including the plight of Myanmar's ethnic Rohingya and human rights violations in Papua
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he Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), a regional ecumenical organization representing councils and churches in 21 countries, has voiced its concerns on various issues facing the Asia region, including the plight of Myanmar's ethnic Rohingya and human rights violations in Papua.
The CCA addressed the issues in its 14th general assembly, themed "Living together in the household of God", which was held from May 20 to 27 in Jakarta.
At least 437 members from churches and councils in 28 countries in the region, with the addition of countries from Africa, North America, and Europe, were present at the assembly.
"The churches in Asia don't discriminate against the religion or ethnicity of a people involved in the issues. We aim to build a peaceful and just society in this region," said the newly elected CCA chairman, WTP Simarmata, in a press conference on Wednesday.
Among the issues discussed included the presence of US military bases in Asia, human trafficking, the Rohingya boat people, religious freedom and human rights violations in Papua.
"The CCA listens to the suffering of the people of Papua and we express our solidarity with their fight for their human, social, and economic rights. We urge the government to take action against the businesspeople who destroy Papua's natural resources," the general-secretary of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Gomar Gultom, said.
Human Rights Watch has said that Papua, which has some of the world's-largest gold and copper mines, is plagued by conflicts with pro-independence movements that have resulted in human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces.
The area has seen Freeport Indonesia, which is a subsidiary of US copper and gold mining company Freeport-McMoRan, operate a mine in Papua for decades, with activists saying it has not given back enough to the Papuan people.
The church assembly criticized the building of a military base in Asia and urged the government of the countries involved with Rohingya asylum seekers to take them in and for Myanmar to provide them security.
The CCA began as the East Asia Christian Conference, which was formed by a group of churches, national councils of churches and national Christian councils whose representatives met in Parapat, North Sumatra, in March 1957.
It now exists as an organization and a forum for continuing cooperation among the churches and national Christian bodies of Asia. (fsu)(+++)
