Seven prominent religious leaders who had accused the government of lying at least 18 times met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace Monday night.
The seven religious leaders from the country’s five religions are: chair of Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin, chair of the Communion of Indonesian Churches (PGI) Andreas Yewangoe, head of the Indonesian Council of Bishops (KWI) Martinus Situmorang, senior Indonesian Buddhist monk Sri Pannyavaro Mahathera, Hindu leader I Nyoman Udayana Sangging, Catholic priest Franz Magnis-Suseno and founder of the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP) Djohan Effendi.
The meeting, which was also attended by Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Said Agil Siraj, Council of Indonesia Buddhist Communities chair Siti Hartati Murdaya and Indonesian Confucianism High Assembly chair Budi S. Tanuwibowo, was held behind closed doors.
Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono, Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto were among the
officials who also attended the meeting.
Yudhoyono said the idea to hold such a meeting came from Muhammadiyah’s chair Din Syamsuddin through a text message.
The President said he welcomed the idea, hoping that such a discussion would break the tension between the two sides in the wake of the religious leaders’ criticisms.
“Establishing communication can help everyone feel at ease. Although they have critiques, both the groups and the government have to deliver such criticism responsibly,” the President said during his opening speech, as quoted by vivanews.com.
Last week, the leaders, along with nine prominent environmental, economic and human rights activists, said the government had in the past told at least nine lies, compounded by nine new ones.
They mentioned statistical flaws regarding poverty and welfare as well as religious conflicts that have occurred in the country.
Their statements caused anxiety among top government officials who held a press conference to announce that the government had solid backing for its statistics, while continuing to deny any religious conflicts in the country.
Noted Islamic scholar Ahmad Syafii Maarif and Nahdlatul Ulama deputy chair Shalahuddin Wahid refused to attend the meeting, with the President reportedly offended by their absence.
Maarif Institute for Culture and Humanity executive director Fajar Riza Ul Haq said Maarif refused to meet the President because he thought the group needed more time to determine what their focus was.
“Maarif rejected the president’s invitation for a discussion this evening because he sees such a dialogue as merely a formality,” Fajar told The Jakarta Post Monday.
Fajar said the President’s invitation failed to include any agenda.
“We did not know what the President’s agenda with us was. We demand real action from the President, not just lobbying,” he said.
