Government cancels meeting to discuss GKI Yasmin case
Irawaty Wardani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/16/2011 10:24 PM
Representatives
of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin congregation were disappointed
Friday as high-ranking government officials did not attend a meeting to discuss
a demand to relocate their church.
The
government was scheduled to have been represented by Home Affairs Minister
Gamawan Fauzi, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo and Religious Affairs
Minister Suryadharma Ali in a meeting with lawmakers at 7:30 p.m.
“The
government cancelled the meeting, none of them came to the House of
Representatives today [Friday],” GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging told The Jakarta Post over the phone.
Previously
in the afternoon Bona said they were invited by Home Affairs Ministry’s director
general of state unity and politics in which the official insisted the church
to be relocated.
“Of
course we refused since the Supreme Court ruled in our favor as well as
recommendation from the Ombudsman. If we followed the request, we would have violated
the law,” Bona said.
According
to lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari, the government cancelled the meeting because
they needed to consolidate the issue first.
She
expressed her concern over the government’s stance that backed those who
violated the law.
“This
is really ironic, it is an abuse of power by the government,” she said.
She
really regretted the government’s decision to cancel the meeting while member
of GKI Yasmin congregation would celebrate Christmas in a few days.
“The
government does not have a sense of crisis. We are supposed to discuss
emergency solution so they can celebrate Christmas peacefully,” she said.
The
Bogor city
administration under Mayor Diani Budiarto has barred GKI Yasmin members from
conducting religious services inside its own building.
The
mayor claims that there were many objections to the congregation by nearby
residents.
GKI
Yasmin had taken the matter to the Supreme Court, which later issued a ruling
in their favor.
The
court said that the church had a legal permit while Diani has been ignoring the
ruling.
