Indonesia: Jokowi powerless against Islamist intolerance
On January 17, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, reminded provincial and district leaders that religious freedom is equal for all. This strong gesture was again welcomed by the archipelago's Christian leaders, who continue to hail Jokowi as a hero of tolerance. However, critical observers see it as nothing more than an admission of powerlessness on the part of the Indonesian head of state in the face of rising religious intolerance in the country.
Indeed, in many parts of Indonesia dominated by Muslims, Christians are experiencing serious difficulties in building their places of worship. Not to mention the harassment and discrimination that occurs on a daily basis. This is despite constant reminders from the central government that freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution.
Far from being an exemplary country in terms of human rights, Indonesia seems to want to show the world something other than what it really is:
When the war in Ukraine started, the Indonesian president wanted to mediate between Putin and Zelensky. And more recently, Indonesia tried to intervene diplomatically to stop the violence perpetrated by the Myanmar junta. The irony is that for years Indonesia has refused to allow the UN High Commissioner to visit West Papua, an Indonesian province that has been embroiled in bloody conflict for 60 years.
Indonesia: Jokowi powerless against rising intolerance - † Chrétiens en Indonésie † (over-blog.com)