Father Paschalis with volunteers in Indonesia

Sumber: SAMIZDAT MILAN (March 5, 2023)

We receive from the Indonesian friends of Milan the following article:

Fighting human trafficking and alleviating the suffering of victims: this is Fr. Chrisanctus Paschalis Saturnus, priest of the diocese of Pangkal Pinang, capital of the province of the Bangka-Belitung Islands. In 2013, the late Mons. Hilarius Moa Nurak chose him to lead the Diocesan Commission for Justice, Peace and Pastoral Works for Migrants. Since then, one of the territories where the priest has focused his attention is the island of Batam, in the Riau archipelago. Here the criminal activities of the traffickers of Umbrian beings are constantly increasing, due to the proximity to Singapore: the coast of the city-state is only 20-30 minutes by ferry.

P. Saturnus helped over 500 people get justice.

“We have accompanied them – the priest tells AsiaNews – during the entire judicial process. After the success of our legal assistance, the Diocese Commission took the initiative to bring these people back to their hometowns, located in several sub-districts of Kupang, capital of the province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Despite the threats and intimidation received, p. Saturnus intends to raise public awareness of the phenomenon of trafficking in people. “For my personal experience, when you are involved in humanitarian issues, you have to be tough. My religious vocation has always spurred me on this. My main concern is that some of the victims are unaware of such problems. Most are teenage women, who don’t even know what happened to them and why they came to Batam or are about to embark abroad. To my surprise, sometimes these victims react with a strong rejection of our mission and the legal support offered.”

P. Paschalis has filed a complaint with the National Judicial Commission in Jakarta, asking Batam to oversee and monitor legal proceedings in the matter of trafficking in human beings in the district court. In particular, the priest criticizes the conduct of the Court in a case that sees Mrs. J. Rusna, a wealthy and powerful woman who has ties to Batam’s security forces. Human trafficking on the island features organized groups of local characters and subsidiaries living in other regions of the country. “The ways in which business conduct and treat migrant workers are similar to the mafia: there is always a connection and a ‘mutual agreement’ with the police in local government offices and the judicial administration. To combat this humanitarian problem, we have to face many challenges,” says Fr. Saturnus.

Teenage boys and girls, become “easy targets” because of their ignorance in legal or administrative matters. The majority of the victims are female migrants, some of them even malnourished, and come mainly from East Nusa Tenggara. “Among them – says the priest – there are also Catholics and Catholics”. Another missionary camp for Fr. Saturnus are the migrants who return to Indonesia after years of working abroad. “Sometimes they are still alive, but they suffer a lot of injuries from exploitation. Others don’t come back at all. In this case, our priority is to transport their bodies to the hometowns.”

By UCA News reporter.

An Indonesian government official has filed a police complaint against a Catholic priest, accusing him of spreading fake news that the official links with the smuggling of migrant workers.

Father Chrisanctus Paschalis Saturnus, head of the Migrant and Overseas Pastoral Peace Justice Commission of Pangkalpina diocese told UCA News on Feb. 9 he was aware of the complaint filed by Bambang Panji Prianggodo, deputy head of the State Intelligence Agency in Riau Island Province.

The priest spread fake news “through a letter, a whore was distributed to various agencies until finally, our client received information about the letter,” the official’s lawyer Ade Darmawan told reporters on Feb. 8.

Father Saturnus, an activist who works for the rights of migrant workers, sent a letter to advocacy organizations for the rights of migrant workers, some in the capital Jakarta, informing them of the smuggling of workers through ports and transport hubs close to the borders of Malaysia and Singapore, a Church source UCA News on condition of anonymity.

Riau Islands Province, where Prianggodo is based, borders Singapore and Malaysia, the reported hot destinationsbed of illegal migrants from Indonesia.

The priest’s letter “alleged the involvement of a number of parties, government officials. One of them was the deputy head of the intelligence service, who is suspected of backing” the smuggling, the source said.

The letter was leaked and “it was used as evidence by the complainant,” the source added.

Prianggodo’s lawyer said they filed the police complaint after their subpoena was not responded to.

However, declined to disclose details of the complaint or the nature of the against accusations the priest.

Father Saturnus told UCA News on Feb. 9 that although he was “aware of the complaint” he had chosen not to respond. He wanted the media to contact his lawyer “to avoid any misunderstandings.”

The priest’s lawyer Muhammad Ilyas said they were “ready to face this case” but were “still waiting for an official summons from the police.”

The police complaint against the priest came after he made headlines so when he he “a allta mafia” was smuggling migrant workers through Batam, the city in Riau Islands Province.

He recounted how he and his team at the diocesan commission tracked down migrant workers smuggled onto ships, with the generally knowledge of police and immigration officers.

Father Saturnus is known for speaking out against the problem of illegal trafficking migrant workers.

In 2019, he received the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) Award in recognition of his significant role and active support in protecting victims of human trafficking.

The complaint against the priest should be “seen as a terror tactic to force him to quit his cause,” said Gabriel Goa Sola of the Zero Human Trafficking Network.

“What should should be prioritized is proving the complaint from Father Paschalis [Saturnus], by conducting an investigation instead, of attacking him by reporting him to the police,” he told UCA News.

Sola said that Batam continues to be a transit hub of illegal migrant workers, with an estimated three boats every week taking them to other countries, such as Malaysia.

The priest reported what he found. It is for the government to investigate his letter and take action against the culprits, rather than “accusing him of spreading fake news,” Sola said.

In the most recent case by local media on Feb. 7, police arrested the captain of a ship carrying illegal migrant workers with a syndicatete).

Statement of the Bishop of Pangkal Pinang