Vaudine England – Throughout the telling of their individual stories of fighting and displacement, the Christian refugees now in Bitung, North Sulawesi, are clear on one point – the root of each quarrel which became a killing spree was not religion but ethnic and economic competition.

"The first problem is between tribes," said Otniel, a Sulawesi man born in Halmahera. "The trouble is between the original people and the migrants."

Most Christian refugees blame the people of Makian island, south of the sultanates of Ternate and Tidore, for initiating attacks, saying religion became a convenient way to describe the fighting. This soon took on a life of its own, so casual talk was all about how Muslims attacked Christians.

Journalists and other observers are unable to visit Muslim areas, such as Ternate, for themselves, but reports show that Muslim refugees – who have also lost families and homes – blame the attacks on Christians.

"There was a story that a man from Sanggir [Sulawesi] had killed a Makian person," said Mr Otniel. "It is all just stories." His view was supported by about 20 village elders gathered in a Bitung refugee camp.

"The first problem is because not everybody is originally from Ternate," a Ternate Christian said. "So on November 6, we in Ternate got the message we had to leave. It was the same in Tidore, but on November 3," he said. "Everyone knows that it's not about religion – it's between tribes," a fellow elder said.

The other point clearly made in various stories was that the violence appeared to be well organised. These refugees described in detail how two pamphlets were distributed in Ternate, allegedly by Muslims, suggesting Christians would soon mount attacks.

While the local religious leaders gathered to discuss and counter the propaganda, a Muslim mob outside hurled abuse at Christians and, when a local priest refused to admit to any planned aggression, he was killed. The mob, said this group of elders, then laid waste to Christian homes and churches.

Several refugees said their attackers carried walkie-talkie radios for communication, and all carried similar knives. The existence of pamphlets also suggests some organisation.

But even these Christian victims said the first spark was not religious, adding that local police had publicly denied any threats had come from Christian groups in a bid to calm the situation. But after the first killings, details of tribal origin and village competition were lost.

The word of fighting in Tidore was heard about the same night in Ternate, Moses Watratan said. "Rumours abounded. So the fear spread that what happened there would happen to us."

Highlighting the persistence of friendships across religious lines is the fact that and several others fled to the homes of their Muslim friends when they feared attack from Makian people.

Mr Watratan's uncle was killed because he could not run fast enough to a Muslim house, he said. He said he was alive today because his Muslim friends had protected him.