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our years since the Supreme Court ruled that the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin in Bogor, West Java, had a valid building permit, the church'€™s congregation is still waiting for the central government and local administration to enforce the verdict and re-open the church.

Presidential Advisory Council member Albert Hasibuan said on Friday that he had advised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to resolve outstanding human rights cases, including the case of GKI Yasmin. However, he added that he had not seen any real action.

'€œI am sure that the President has seen my input and advice, but I think the government has yet to pay serious attention to human rights cases like GKI Yasmin,'€ Albert told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin in the minister'€™s office in Central Jakarta.

The dispute regarding GKI Yasmin has raged since 2002. Despite a verdict by the Supreme Court that affirmed the church'€™s permit in December 2010, and despite the Indonesian Ombudsman'€™s recommendation not to hinder religious activities in the church, the congregation remains without a place to worship.

Then Bogor mayor Diani Budiarto refused to issue a permit for the building and sealed the church.

In April 2014, GKI Yasmin representatives visited the newly elected Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugiarto and asked him not to follow the actions of his predecessor, who revoked the church'€™s permit.

At the time, Bima responded that dialogue was only one way to solve the dispute.

After Friday'€™s meeting, Albert said that during the meeting, Lukman had explained he had met with the GKI Yasmin congregation earlier this week and was still trying to meet with the people who were blocking religious activity from taking place at GKI Yasmin'€™s church site.

After the meeting, Lukman said he would do his best to resolve the GKI Yasmin case and other religious intolerance issues during his tenure.

Lukman, a politician from the United Development Party (PPP), added that he would be taking action.

'€œWe have reviewed a number of interfaith conflict cases and we will hold a big meeting with the related parties to hear their opinions in the near future,'€ said Lukman.

Lukman explained that since he had been appointed religious affairs minister by Yudhoyono on June 9, he had met with a number of people who were involved in the conflicts.

However, he added that more discussions would be necessary to ensure the case was fully resolved.

Benny Soesetyo from human rights watchdog the Setara Institute said that firm law enforcement and communication with the parties in dispute were the keys for the next government to prevent further religious violence.

He added that the main reason why such cases recurred was because the government did not take firm action, nor did it raise people'€™s awareness that there was no place for intolerant action in the country.

'€œA verdict has been issued by the court. The government and the central administration are obligated to implement it,'€ Benny told The Jakarta Post. (idb)