People group profile · PG050502
The Liabuku of Indonesia
The Liabuku of Indonesia, numbering about 850 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a linguistic subgroup of the Muna people of Indonesia, indigenous to Indonesia's Sulawesi province.
They are an indigenous people in the Tukangbesi of Sulawesi people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Indonesian.

Fast facts
- Country
- Indonesia
- Population
- 850
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tukangbesi of Sulawesi
- Primary language
- Indonesian (ind)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Unengaged and Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Liabuka
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Southeast Sulawesi province: Buton island, Bungi district, Waliabuku village
Where they live
Gospel status
The Liabuku are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Liabuku
- Pray that God would send workers to this people group
- Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
- Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Indonesian · Austronesian family
90% speak Indonesian
Gospel resources in Indonesian
- Bible available, published 2017
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Indonesian (Yesus))
- JESUS (Indonesian (Isa))
- Magdalena (Indonesian (Isa))
- The Savior (Indonesian (Yesus))
Bibles
- Indonesian New Translation (formal) Version, 1974 · video, audio, text
- Indonesian New Translation (formal) Version, 1974 · audio, text
- Plain Indonesian Translation · audio, text
- Sehari-hari · text
- Shellabear NT Kitab Suci Injil (Terjemahan 1912) · video, audio, text
- Shellabear OT Association for the Restoration of the 1912 Translation · audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Liabuku
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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