Michael Ferguson (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak this afternoon in very strong support of the motion moved by the member for Wakefield. I would like to congratulate him on his sensitivity in raising this within the government’s party room and in this place during question time. I also congratulate him on his forthrightness but also sensitivity, having regard to all of the issues, in bringing this private member’s motion forward to the parliament.

I think his motion very appropriately makes the point strongly and delicately that the brutal executions of three Indonesian girls in October last year are a deeply serious matter which should concern every Indonesian, every Australian and every world citizen. I welcome my colleagues on both sides of this House expressing their sorrow in this parliament and I join them in that. The motion expresses our deep sorrow to both the government and the people of Indonesia but, in particular, to the families who were directly affected by the killings of these three dear girls. It also condemns the beheadings, as there was a culprit or group of culprits here. The motion regards this as an act of brutality and terror and a very serious abuse of human rights. It welcomes steps by the government of Indonesia to investigate this incident and to ensure that justice is administered, if indeed it is possible. The motion also conveys to the government and the people of Indonesia that the Australian government remains committed to peace and reconciliation in Indonesia and to enhancing our mutual understanding and cooperation as good neighbours in our region.

It may perhaps disappoint some, as they listen to the broadcast or read this in Hansard, that I will not be going into the detail of the motion, but I do want to bring to the attention of the House some words from a television program which I watched on SBS as long ago as 2002. In the 30 January 2002 episode of Dateline on SBS there was a report from David O’Shea called ‘Sulawesi Christmas’. It was a stunning report which gave an overview of the challenges and the history which have confronted the people of Central Sulawesi. In it, David O’Shea talked about the loss of at least 1,000 and perhaps as many as 2,000 lives beginning in around 1998. A vibrant community in Poso, once home to 40,000 people, both Christian and Muslim, is now a Muslim town of around 5,000. David O’Shea talked about an incident in December 1998 when a drunken boy entered a mosque. In the finish, two young men, one Muslim and one Christian, had a drunken fight and the Muslim boy was stabbed. What happened after that is still disputed, but we know that trouble broke out.

It is also fair to say that, in that part of the world, most civil unrest is stirred up by other elements, allegedly by the military or Jakarta’s corrupt elite and, importantly, by Laksar Jihad, which is a very well entrenched organisation in the region and which has a sophisticated propaganda wing. They do stir up trouble and portray the Christians as the aggressors. Just as they did in November 2001, they have found it is not hard to rouse the Muslim masses.

The children, in this instance, were singing before a community of Christians in their burnt-down church. There was no roof and there were barely any walls. The girls were singing:

Oh dear Lord, how much longer are your children to endure this oppression as a result of the unrest? Christmas is upon us once more. We find ourselves in the ruins of your kindness. We hope and pray your peace will be everlasting. Though storms may break over us, though we are forced to suffer, we will always worship You.

I commend this motion to the House.

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