Indonesian Catholic Group Wields Blasphemy Law in Land Dispute

By Human Rights Watch

In Indonesia, Islamist groups have long misused the country’s blasphemy law as a political weapon to target perceived critics of Islam, discriminate against religious minorities, and carry out personal vendettas.Now some members of the Catholic community on Flores Island are using the law against opponents of a church-linked palm plantation. Many affected villagers from the Soge Natarmage and Goban Runut-Tana Ai Indigenous groups opposed the plans proposed by PT Kristus Raja Maumere, a company owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maumere.On January 22, the company used excavators…

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