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Residents threaten to demolish churches
Representatives of three Christian congregations in Bekasi appealed on Thursday for police assistance in halting the planned destruction of their churches
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Representatives of three Christian congregations in Bekasi appealed on Thursday for police assistance in halting the planned destruction of their churches.
The priests of HKBP, Gekindo and GPDI churches in Tambun Selatan district, Bekasi, arrived at Jakarta Police headquarters with their lawyers to file a complaint over Saturday's planned demolition.
"We just want freedom to pray. We believe that this country has laws to protect freedom of religion. We are asking for police protection related to the plan to destroy our churches," priest Pesta Ria Hutajulu of Gekindo said.
Pesta arrived at the church on Sunday to find chairs and other church property missing, and the windows broken.
On Wednesday, the village chief and district deputy head met with church leaders, presenting them a letter signed by district head, Tuftana.
"The letter said they would tear down our churches on Saturday in response to demands from residents," she said.
Erwin Marbun, the priest at HKBP, said the churches had collected more than 100 signatures from residents of Jati Mulya subdistrict in support of the churches.
"They are our non-Christian neighbors," he said.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said he had just heard about the case and could not comment.
Pesta said members of the three congregations, totaling about 4,000 people, had not worshiped in the churches since 2005 because of threats from people in the community.
Instead, church members worship in private houses.
She said church leaders bought the land for Gekindo at Jl. Melati Ujung No. 12 in Tambun Selatan district from a resident named Purwoko in June 1989.
Pesta acknowledged none of the churches had building permits, but said they had all applied for the permits with the proper authorities.
"It was very difficult to get a building permit from the local administration. At the time, we asked permission from the neighborhoods and the senior resident to build our churches and they approved it," she said.
In October 2005, about 500 members of the three churches were forced to cut short Sunday services, which were being held in the street, after some 200 Muslim residents, many claiming to be members of the Islam Defenders Front, surrounded them.
As the services began with songs and prayers, the waiting crowd began shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).
Despite some pushing and shoving, violence was averted as some 200 police officers moved in to separate the groups.
The three churches have been blocked off by Muslim residents since September 2005. (ind)
