VZCZCXRO2877
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0043/01 2740706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 010706Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0061
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0010
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0001
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0001
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0009
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0063

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000043 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP,DRL/PHD, INL, 
S/CT,  EB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM KISL KCOR ID
SUBJECT: MANADO--ALL BROTHERS 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 2598 
 
     ¶B. JAKARTA 2597 
 
SURABAYA 00000043  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
The Message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please Protect 
Accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: North Sulawesi has long maintained a 
reputation for tolerance and calm, despite being surrounded 
areas best known for ethnic and religious conflicts. During a 
September 25-27 visit to Manado, Surabaya Principal Officer 
discussed with local leaders, academicians, and the media North 
Sulawesi's enviably ability to avoid the conflicts that have 
plagued neighboring regions over the years.  All credited the 
local philosophy "Torang Samua Basudara" (we are all brothers 
and sisters) as the foundation for respect and tolerance among 
different ethnic and religious groups.  The long-standing 
Interfaith Cooperation Forum has allowed political and religious 
leaders to calm any tensions and address perceived imbalances 
before they have the opportunity to undermine this philosophy. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The majority of North Sulawesi's 2.189 citizens are 
protestant (69%); 19% are Muslim, 8% Catholic, 3% Buddhist, and 
1% Hindu.  Before the majority-Muslim province of Gorontalo was 
broken off from North Sulawesi in December 2000 by a decision by 
the Indonesian parliament (DPR), the religious breakdown was 60% 
Christian and 40% Muslim.  Within the Manado city limits, the 
religious breakdown is 53.5% protestant, and 29% Muslim.  Local 
residents take great pride in the province's overarching 
philosophy "Torang Samua Basudara" (we are all brothers).  They 
credit this spirit of brotherhood without reference to religious 
or ethnic background for North Sulawesi's ability to avoid the 
ethnic and religious conflicts that have affected the province's 
neighbors. 
 
Horizontal Conflicts Need Dialogue 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) North Sulawesi's governor S.H. Sarundajang has a lot of 
experience with ethnic and religious conflict having served as 
the acting governor in North Maluku and Maluku during their 
recent conflicts.  In his view, these conflicts and those in 
neighboring Central Sulawesi were based on economic and social 
problems rather than religious differences.  Unlike conflicts in 
Aceh and Papua, which he called "vertical" conflicts for 
independence, these "horizontal" conflicts could only be 
resolved through dialogue amongst local groups.  North Sulawesi, 
which had established a Badan Kerja Sama Antar Ummat Beragama 
(Interfaith Cooperation Forum) in 1968, never faced similar 
conflicts because the needed dialogue was always ongoing. 
 
Interfaith Cooperation Forum 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to Rev. Jeffry Saisab, Chairman of the 
Interfaith Cooperation Forum Manado, and Rev. Nico Gara, the 
former Secretary of the Synod "Gereja Masehi Injili Minahasa" 
the Interfaith Cooperation Forum was established by the Muslim 
Mayor of Manado, Raub Mo'o, in an effort to quell violence 
between Christian and Muslim communities following a joke about 
the Prophet Mohammad made by a Chinese tailor.  When angry 
Muslims attacked Chinese shops and temples, the nearby Christian 
church was damaged, triggering anger by the Christian community. 
 To avoid further conflict, local religious and public leaders 
proposed establishment of the Forum to the Manado government. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Today, the Interfaith Forum has executive members in 
every village and neighborhood in North Sulawesi.  Kiai Fauzi 
Nurani, chairman of the North Sulawesi Ulama Council, and Anwar 
Panawar, Chairman of North Sulawesi Muhammadiyah, credited the 
Interfaith Cooperation Forum with calming local residents during 
conflicts in neighboring area.  As a result, the people of 
Manado perceived these conflicts as useless on rejected 
overtures from outside provocateurs to join the conflicts.  They 
noted that Muslim youth guard churches during Christian 
celebrations, while Christian youths similarly guard mosques 
during Lebaran.  They added that there had been no such 
cooperation in conflict areas such as Ambon, Ternate, or Poso. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Suhendra Boroma, Chief Editor of the Manado Post, 
highlighted the role of the media in preventing conflicts.  As 
an example, he said that the Manado Post makes an effort to 
cover both sides of disputes and report positive remarks from 
religious leaders who were trying to stop conflicts from 
 
SURABAYA 00000043  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
spreading into the province. 
 
A Welcoming Society 
------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Rev. Jeffry added that the local Chinese community has 
not suffered from the ethnically motivated violence that has 
occurred in other areas.  He explained that the local Minahasa 
and Chinese communities enjoyed similar cultures, eat similar 
foods, and had similar facial features.  Rev. Jeffry added that 
the openness of Minahasa culture welcomed both Chinese 
immigrants and Arab traders, absorbing both communities into the 
local population.  Mantiri, from the University of Manado, noted 
that strong social and cultural organizations, accommodated the 
interests or all ethnicities and religions, strengthening local 
communities. 
 
¶8. (SBU) BIO Note:  North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry 
Sarundajang was born on January 16, 1945 in Kawangkoan, 
Minahasa, North Sulawesi.  Elected governor in April 2005 after 
beating the incumbent, Sarundajang is a career bureaucrat who 
served as the Mayor of Bitung in North Sulawesi from 1986 until 
¶2000.  In March 2000, he was appointed to the Expert Staff on 
Strategic Affairs in the Ministry of Home Affairs.  In February 
2001, he was selected as head of the Inspectorate General of the 
Home Affairs Ministry.  The central government appointed him as 
acting Governor of North Maluku on March 23, 2003.  In November 
of the same year, he was appointed acting governor of Maluku. 
Both Muslims and Christians praised Sarundajang for his efforts 
to end the conflicts and to organize successful elections for 
new governors in both provinces.  Sarundajang has surrounded 
himself with a team of English-speaking experts from local 
universities and businesses who advise him on specific issues, 
in particular his plans to host a World Ocean Conference in May 
¶2009.  Educated at Sam Ratulangi University (1968), the 
University of Manado (1968), and the University of 17 August in 
Jakarta (1970), Sarundajang has taken courses at the UK's 
Birmingham University (1994), the University of Pittsburg 
(1995), and UCLA (1996).  An enthusiastic country music singer, 
Governor Sarundajang looks for opportunities to engage visitors 
and local officials in performances. 
MCCLELLAND