JIM MORET, CNN ANCHOR: In Indonesia, new sectarian violence is shattering communities in the eastern Ma-luku islands. About 2,000 people have died in Christian-Muslim clashes during the past year. From Jakarta, Mark Austin has the story of one troubled island.</s>MARK AUSTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the holiday island of Lombok today, the Christian community is herded together in a temporary refugee camp, living in fear of their lives. This is what is left of their churches, their homes, and their businesses, the target of Muslim gangs.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very afraid, because after this is finished maybe the Muslim people want to take the people -- very, very dangerous, and maybe to kill them.</s>AUSTIN: The last foreign tourists were leaving Lombok today, heading to nearby Bali on ferries. Britain is among countries warning its citizens to stay away from these islands, where tension remains high. Riots broke out in Lombok earlier this week, with cars attacked and overturned. It is just one of several islands in Indonesia to be hit by sectarian violence that's gone on for more than a year. Dozens have been wounded or killed in recent weeks, and these are images Indonesia's new democratic government simply cannot afford. It's survival can only be assured by massive foreign investment, and scenes like this are guaranteed to keep international money away. Ironically, today the new government unveiled its first budget, promising increased investment in provinces stricken by violence. At the same time, the government is sending in hundreds of troops to try and restore calm to the islands of Indonesia. (on camera): So tonight, the government here will be desperate to put an end to the chaos, chaos which if left unchecked threatens to lead to the breakup of the world's fourth-most populous country. Mark Austin, ITN, Jakarta.
In Indonesia, Sectarian Violence Threatens New Democratic Government