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Nine arrested in church leader assault
Police on Tuesday arrested nine suspects in Sunday’s attack on two church leaders in Mustika Jaya, Bekasi, but refused to link them to any mass organizations
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olice on Tuesday arrested nine suspects in Sunday’s attack on two church leaders in Mustika Jaya, Bekasi, but refused to link them to any mass organizations.
“We are still questioning them. There are no indications they are linked to any mass organization,” Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Timur Pradopo said at a press conference.
He said police had also questioned the head of the Bekasi branch of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) over the incident as a witness in the case.
The nine suspects were between the ages of 17 and 29. “The leader among these suspects is not a local resident,” Timur added.
HKBP Pondok Timur Indah church minister Rev. Luspida Simandjuntak and church elder Hasian Lumbantoruan Sihombing were attacked as they and other worshippers, were on their way to Sunday service at the church construction site at Mustika Jaya.
Hasian was taken to Mitra Keluarga Hospital in critical condition with a stab wound to his liver, while Luspida suffered a concussion.
Timur said the suspects assaulted the victims because the congregation continued to conduct religious activities at the location despite protests by residents.
He said the incident began when local residents objected to the construction of the HKBP church on Jl. Puyuh Raya in the Pondok Timur Indah residential estate, saying the church caused traffic jams in the neighborhood.
The church congregation began meeting in the area in 1990, a year after the residential estate was established.
The Bekasi administration decided to seal off the church construction site on March 1, Timur said, adding that the congregation did not have a permit to use the building as a house of worship.
He said church members continued to conduct Sunday service at the building, so the place was sealed off again on July 2.
Since July 11, church members conducted religious activities on a land owned by the HKBP in Ciketing village in Mustika Jaya subdistrict, 3 kilometers from their church site. They have also attempted to construct a church on the land.
Timur said that in early August, the congregation was attacked by the Islamic Community Forum (FUI). He did not mention the FPI’s role in the attack.
A lawyer for the church, Judianto Simandjuntak, told The Jakarta Post the church had come to an arrangement with the Bekasi administration to conduct religious activities at Mustika Jaya.
“It hurts to hear the police blame the church, while their responsibility is to protect us,” he said.
He criticized the police for allowing certain groups to attempt to stop the congregation from worshipping.
“Whoever perpetrated the stabbing should be dealt with legally. The police cannot call this a ‘purely criminal’ case before the investigation is complete,” Judianto said.
On Sunday, Timur said a preliminary police investigation concluded the assaults were a “purely criminal act”, adding that police had found no links to recent interfaith conflicts.
University of Indonesia criminologist Muhammad Irvan Olii told the Post that this statement by police was simply the best step to calm the public. (not/ipa)
