Written question asked by Lord Patten (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 February 2010.

Indonesia

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made or intend to make representations to the Government of Indonesia concerning freedom of Christian worship.

Answer: Our ambassador to Jakarta raised freedom of religion most recently when he met the chair of the Indonesian Parliament's Commission III on Law, Human Rights and Internal Security on 1 December 2009. We, along with our EU partners, raise human rights concerns with the Indonesian Government and have pressed the authorities to ensure the rights of all religious minorities. We will continue to call for religious tolerance across Indonesia. We are aware of problems surrounding the forcible closure of and occasional attacks on places of religious worship, both Christian and Islamic, but in general, there is a high degree of religious freedom in Indonesia, including for those practising Christianity.

Secondary information