CHRISTIANS HOLD SERVICES ON STREET AS CHURCEHES BLOCKED
By: Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta.
Around 500 Christians from two churches in the Jati Mulya
housing complex in Bekasi, West Java, were forced to conduct
Sunday services on the streets after a group of people blocked
their way into their respective churches.
Former chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches
(PGI) Nathan Setiabudi said persons claiming to be members
of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have blocked roads
into HKBP and Gekindo churches since Saturday, forcing congregation
members to conduct their Sunday services on the street in
front of the churches.
"Both churches have a total membership of around 800.
As most of them have agreed to have Sunday services no matter
what happens, Protestant ministers decided to hold their
services on streets," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Nathan said some congregation members decided to go home
to avoid clashes.
"Although both the churches do not have permits, they
have been there for 15 years. They want to get a permit
but can't get it even after 15 years of requesting,"
he said.
He added that no violence occurred during the blockade
or service as a group of police officers from Bekasi were
in attendance.
Bekasi deputy police chief Adj. Comr. Ritonga said that
his office had deployed around 100 officers to secure the
situation.
"Right now, representatives from both sides are discussing
how to end the conflict," he said.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono
said that as long as no violence or destruction of property,
the police would not interfere and would only monitor the
situation.
He said that they could not remove the blockade because
not only did both churches have no required permit but also
they wanted to avoid provoking the blockaders.
Many churches in Bandung and Jakarta have been closed forcefully
by hard-line Muslim groups, including the FPI and the Anti-Apostasy
Movement Alliance (AGAP).
Earlier, PGI leader Andreas A. Yewangoe complained to President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the closure of 23 churches
in Bandung by hard-line groups since September 2004.
Christians in the country have called for the revocation
of a 1969 joint ministerial decree, which requires that
congregations wishing to build a church obtain a permit
from the head of local administration and seek permission
from local residents.
With Indonesia being predominantly Muslim, minority Christians
often have difficulties in building churches, and instead
use houses, shop-houses or hotels to hold services.
Jafar Sidiq of FPI said on Sunday that the FPI and local
people in Bekasi had never closed down churches, but only
private houses that had been turned into worship places.
"I believe that my friends in Bekasi would never close
down churches. But if a private house was turned into a
place of worship then it has violated the ministerial decree.
I think everyone should obey the regulations," he told
the Post.
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