T

he embattled GKI Taman Yasmin congregation in Bogor observed Easter peacefully on Sunday as worshippers hoped for an end to their intimidation.

The congregation, whose church has been closed since 2008, decided to conduct the service clandestinely at a house of a member to prevent possible harassment, as has often happened in the past.

The worshippers spread the invitation to the service among church members and a few journalists but withheld the information from the police, whom they regard as powerless in safeguarding them.

Bona Sigalingging, the church’s spokesman, said that church-goers took a lesson from last year’s Christmas celebration when dozens of hard-liners came to intimidate them. “The police were there, but they did not do much to help us. Ever since then, we know that there is no point in telling the police about our activities,” Bona said.

The congregration had always reported their activities, which usually served as a means to protest the injustice they have suffered, to the police to avoid intimidation, but usually ended up with radical groups finding out about their activities and holding rowdy protests.

Bona said that limiting the information only to worshippers and journalists was the best way to conduct religious activities without interruption or intimidation. “For this Easter service, we just announced the location on Saturday,” he said.

Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto suspended the church’s building permit in 2008, saying that its existence could disrupt religious harmony in the surrounding area.

The mayor ignored a Supreme Court ruling ordering the opening of the church and a recommendation from the National Ombudsman Commission saying that members of the GKI Yasmin congregation should be allowed to perform religious practices in their own church.

General Secretary of Indonesian Communion of Churches Rev. Gomar Gultom, who attended the Easter Mass, said that the worshippers should not lose their humanity even though they received intimidation from others. “The church members have their right to use their own church, and I don’t want them to give up struggling. Yet, I must say that praying can be done everywhere. We don’t have to come to the church to pray,” he said.

Gomar also said that the worshippers should not feel discouraged by harassment. “I think that Indonesia is still a pluralistic country. Such discrimination doesn’t happen in all places,” he said.

The Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta was full for Easter Evening on Saturday. Nearly 2,500 parishioners flocked to the church for the Holy Saturday Mass.