Story number 1 for 18 Jul 2001

(Indonesia)–We begin today in Indonesia where the government’s lack of ability to enforce federal law is causing problems for missionary radio there. Far East Broadcasting Company’s Jim Bowman says that means officials outside Jakarta can do as they please. “Most national rules and protections just simply aren’t valid and that turns out to be true for us. We have a radio station in East Kalimantan. We’re starting to get harassed by local officials who come along and they say, your antenna’s too high. And, that’s completely arbitrary. There’s nothing in their version of the FCC rules that say we have to comply with this.” That decision forced them temporarily off the air. With a probable presidential impeachment in the offing, Bowman is asking people to pray. “You really want to pray that it doesn’t turn into anarchy. Because I think that’s the scariest thing for missionaries working in that area of the world. There’s nothing scarier than when laws aren’t effective any more and the lid comes off.”