Kong Fu Cu - Blog Posts

Religions In Indonesia

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Indonesia is quite an interesting country! It is known for one of their islands; Bali, and their vast number of languages. Fun fact! Indonesia is the country with the most islands and probably the country with the most languages that belong to them. There are a lot of islands, a lot of cultures that reside with the islands in the country, like Javanese and Balinese. But there is one language that is used by everyone there is Bahasa Indonesia. Their capital is Jakarta which isn’t as known as Bali but is still the capital of Indonesia.

Another thing that Indonesia is known for is their religions! It’s actually not permitted to NOT have a religion and that you must pick a religion out of 6 religions: Hindu, Kong Fu Cu, Islam, Buddha, Christian, and Catholic. Afterall, Indonesia is a secular democratic country that has a Muslim-majority population. The Indonesian constitution guarantees all people in Indonesia the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. It also stipulates that the state shall be based upon the belief in "the one and only God" (a condition which also forms the first principle of the Pancasila, the Indonesian state philosophy introduced by Soekarno in 1945).

Indonesia is always open to thousands of things! But there are some things that aren’t allowed and aren’t legalized by its government. Not only that, but religions in Indonesia have conflict despite having a lot of religious freedom. And although some religions are fighting over doctrinal differences, most conflict stems from more secular causes- a desire for political power, a struggle for resources, ethnic rivalries, and economic competition.

Just like I said earlier, some religions are having conflict. And although some religions are fighting over doctrinal differences, most conflict stems from more secular causes- a desire for political power, a struggle for resources, ethnic rivalries, and economic competition. Their reasoning for this conflict had caused a lot of problems in Indonesia.

Here’s a few of the conflicts that have been going on in Indonesia:

The conflict in the Malaccas, where, according to Indonesian Red Cross data, over 500,000 people have been displaced and over 4,000 people have died in Christian-Muslim combat over the previous two years. Even if it is undoubtedly the greatest of the problems we are currently experiencing, it would be inaccurate to attribute it to a long-standing religious disagreement. The underlying causes of it are actually numerous historical, political, and economic ones.

Although West Kalimantan is currently quiescent, hundreds of people were murdered in a new outbreak that occurred in 1999. Furthermore, there was a prior incident in 1997 that resulted in numerous fatalities and involved native Dayaks and some native Malays fighting the Madurese immigrant group. The topic of migrants against indigenous people is a recurring motif in conflicts within Indonesian communities.

There is a conflict going on in Poso in Sulawesi. Again the worst episode was this past spring when there were about 300 people killed. Again there was Christian-Muslim fighting but this conflict was based more on local elites struggling over power that ended up in communal conflict.

Community conflicts occasionally break out in Couchon Pandang in West and East Java, Kupang in West Timor, Lombok in Eastern Bali, and other places where the conditions are right. Of course, the ethnic Chinese are also a constant target whenever societal turmoil occurs.

Of course, there is a way to resolve all of these problems. It won’t be easy, neither will it be quick to resolve. But with time, it can be done. There are few solutions that I know of to overcome religious conflict and receive religious harmony:

Followers of different religions should exercise moderation and tolerance towards each other and their beliefs, and not instigate religious enmity or hatred.

Religion and politics should be kept separate.

Overall, we should learn how to  tolerate and respect other religions. Considering they are all in the same country, with Bhineka Tunggal Ika has their meaning for unity in all religions. I do hope for the best outcome of  any religious conflict in Indonesia. The people and its scenery is truly a beauty.

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Here's the resources that I used!

Indonesia Investments (2019). Religion in Indonesia | Indonesia Investments. [online] Indonesia-investments.com. Available at: https://www.indonesia-investments.com/culture/religion/item69.

Jones, S. (2023). Causes of Conflict in Indonesia. [online] Asia Society. Available at: https://asiasociety.org/causes-conflict-indonesia. 

opentext.wsu.edu. (n.d.). 6.4 RELIGIOUS CONFLICT – Introduction to Human Geography. [online] Available at: https://opentext.wsu.edu/introtohumangeography/chapter/6-4-religious-conflict/#:~:text=Although%20some%20religions%20are%20fighting. 

Ministry of Home Affairs (2023). Maintaining Racial and Religious Harmony. [online] Ministry of Home Affairs. Available at: https://www.mha.gov.sg/what-we-do/managing-security-threats/maintaining-racial-and-religious-harmony.