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eligious and community leaders have urged authorities to hand down harsh punishments to the perpetrators of a recent series of thefts of sacred statues from Hindu temples.

I Gusti Putu Sudiana, chairman of the Hindu Council, said the impact of the crimes could be likened to terrorism because, “It hurts the entire Balinese Hindu community”.

“They deserve heavier punishment,” he added.

In late September, Bali Police arrested seven people including one Italian citizen, for stealing pretima (sacred statue) from several temples across Bali.

The police are still hunting a French national implicated in the theft and subsequent attempted selling of the items.

During the arrest, police found hundreds of statues, old coins and other sacred ceremonial items that were believed to have been in the possession of Italian and French nationals.

The statues, each of which is worth many millions of rupiah, were believed to have been for sale on the stolen art market, the police said, adding that the crimes were the work of international illegal art trafficking syndicates.

The suspects’ cases have been sent to Denpasar District Court.

The police said the heaviest law they could charge the suspects with was the Criminal Law on theft, which carries a maximum punishment of two years in prison.

Sudiana said the thefts had had a massive impact on the lives of the Balinese people.

“These statues symbolize their faiths to the gods. This is not a matter of material or economic value. They are symbols of sanctity and holiness,” Sudiana said.

Balinese Hindu statues are usually sandalwood sculptures adorned with gold jewelries and other precious gems. They are located in most temples and serve as manifestations of gods.

Ngakan Putu Sudhira Artha, a resident of Puseh village, said among the confiscated items were three effigies that had been stolen from his temple.

“The statues had been painted brown and green. They also took off the gold ornaments that were on the statues,” Artha said. The centuries-old effigies, valued at Rp 300 million, were stolen from the Puseh temple in May.

Ida Bagus Wiyana, chairman of the Bali Inter-Faith Group, has called on prosecutors, lawyers and judges to listen to their consciences in dealing with the case. “This is not an ordinary crime. It it is closely related to the religion, culture and the people of Bali,” Wiyana said.

I Dewa Gede Palguna, a former Constitutional Court judge, said he expected the judges would make fair and just decisions.