Religious Freedom in Indonesia so the U.S. Spotlight

Indonesian group to Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, India, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, and Venezuela in terms of offense related to religious freedom.

Similarly, according to a U.S. Government annual report to be released on Tuesday (03/20/2012), but it has acquired The Associated Press (AP) on Monday. U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its annual report that classifies Indonesia and nine other countries were on a watch list that need careful monitoring because the government commit or allow violation of religious freedom.

The report also said there are 16 other countries that are categorized as countries with particular attention. In this group, two U.S. allies, such as Turkey and Tajikistan, due to "limitations of systematic and horrible" linked religious freedom. Turkey and Tajikistan was part of the 16 countries listed by the commission as the country with special care.

Turkey's ambassador to Washington, Mamik Tan, has denied the commission's assessment and said it could not be justified. "Every eye that no bias would soon realize that Turkey should not be included in the annual report of USCIRF it," Tan told The Associated Press.

The report criticized Turkey for organizing groups of non-Muslims by restricting how they should train their religious leaders, offer education, and places of worship confiscated.

The U.S. Congress established the commission in 1998 to compile reports that can be used by the president, the foreign minister, and a member of the country's parliament.

In addition to Turkey and Tajikistan, the report also includes Myanmar, North Korea, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam in the same category.

Although the commission recommends action to be taken by the U.S. Government encourages improvements in religious freedom in various countries, the U.S. State Department's list usually pursed into smaller groups that should receive special attention in its own neighbor annual report on religious freedom. Countries could then be penalized.

As a NATO ally, Turkey stand out among the other countries named by the commission. However, the report seems to contradict the assessment of the U.S. State Department about Turkey. When the department released a report last year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Turkey for taking "serious steps to improve the climate of religious tolerance."