NGO backs party involvement in Taman Yasmin dispute

An NGO says it support a recent bid by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to seek clarification from Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto over the GKI Taman Yasmin Church dispute.

“We fully support PDI-P’s attempt to question the mayor on the GKI Taman Yasmin issue. Now is the right time for a political party to show its concern for such ignorance,” United Bogor People's Movement chief Harry Arra said Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Earlier, the PDI-P and Golkar Party announced they would likely withdraw support for Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto after the latter openly opposed a Supreme Court ruling obliging him to reopen the gates to GKI Taman Yasmin and allow its congregation to attend services there.

Diani had ordered the closure of the church site at a request from several radical Muslim organizations that didn’t want a church in the area.