Strange Alliance—Christians, Communists In Indonesia

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28661, 11 August 1958, Page 10

Strange Alliance —Christians, Communists In Indonesia

Christians have joined with Communists in a common cause in Indonesia. They, with the nationalists, another minority group, have the same aim: they wish to ensure that the young, turbulent republic remains a secular State.

Although the Indonesian constitution, of 1950, provided that the republic should be, among Other things, democratic and secular, there was a growing movement to establish an Islamic theocracy, ' said Mr « O. Notohamidjojo, a noted Indonesian Christian educationist, in Christchurch yesterday. “If either of the big Islamic parties should establish Indonesia as an Islamic state, our position could be difficult,” said Mr Noto —as he is commonly known. Alternatively, if the Communists, at present a minority, should gain control of the country, the Christians would be in an equally untenable position. “So Indonesia is probably the only country in the world where the Roman Catholics are working with Communists.” he said. “They have seven representatives in the 260-seat Parliament, we Protestants have eight, the Communists have 32 and the Nationalists 57 —a total of 104.” No Breach, No Tension

There was no open breach between the Islamic parties and the Christians, said Mr Noto. “There is no tension, but it is a challenge.” Mr Noto, who has come to New Zealand at the invitation of the National Council of Churches, is dean of the Christian Teachers’ Training College in Salatiga. in mid-Java. Himself a" convert to Christianity as a young man. Mr Noto knows what such a decision can mean to a student. His parents were strict Moslems, but they sent him to a Christian school because it was the best in the district.

This is true today, and only about 20 per cent, of the students at the Salatiga college are Christians. They have come because it is there that they can obtain the best professional training.

“And that is why I was sent to a Christian school,” said Mr Noto. “I was about 20 when I asked my father if I could become a Christian. He said no, at first, but later, when hp thought he was dying—we all thought he would not recover—he said yes, and never went back on his word.” Appeal For Teachers The Christians in Indonesia are a 4 per 1 cent, minority, and are only slowly growing. There are few mass conversions today, but many of individuals. There are two or three conversions each year at many of the high schools and colleges. All private schools In Indonesia were subsidised, said Mr, Noto, and Christian schools were included. Although State schools were not free, the fees were fairly low, so there was still quite a difference between the cost of sending a child td a Christian school or to a State school. In spite of this, said Mr Noto, the Christian schools obtained pupils from a fair cross-section of the community—"we are able to help the children of poorer families,” he said. Asked how New Zealand Christians could best help him, he said: “Send us more lecturers.” Mr and Mrs G. Brewster, of Christchurch, are on the staff of the Salatiga college, and while he is in New Zealand, Mr Noto hopes to persuade other students and teachers to join him in Indonesia.

Yesterday, Mr Noto preached at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church and at the Colombo Street Baptist Church. On his return, later this month, he will speak at the Durham Street Methodist Church and at St. Mary’s, Merivale.