R

iau Islands Police say they have been forced to halt the construction of two churches on the grounds they will only stoke conflicts.

Police gathered together 98 so-called inter-religious figures Wednesday to discuss the construction of a Pentecostal church in Bengkong, Batam, and a Catholic church in Tanjung Pinang.

They said the ongoing construction of the churches had been protested by whinging members of "the majority faith".

Riau Islands Police chief Brig. Gen. Pudji Hartanto told The Jakarta Post that complaints against the construction of churches among the community were the result of incomplete bureaucratic procedures on the part of the government.

"The local community's consent is important, but has often been ignored in the construction of houses of worship, such as the case of the church constructions in Bengkong and Tanjung Pinang," he said.

"Had all the requirements been met, I believe there'd be nothing to moan about."

Pudji added construction of both churches would be temporarily halted until the matter was resolved.

Riau Islands Religious Office head Razali Jaya said the construction of churches was regulated under a joint 2006 Home Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry decree that laid out as prerequisites a minimum of 90 congregation members resident within the planned construction area, and approval from 60 non-congregation residents.

"Consent from the local community is often disregarded or manipulated," Razali said.

"The decree doesn't hamper freedom of worship."

He added the decree did not favor any one religion over another.

In response to the dispute over the two churches, Razali said his office had taken over the matter.

He said he had noted the local communities' objections to the churches being built, and after studying the cases had found the construction of the churches "failed to follow the required procedures".

"Building work for the two churches will stop for the time being," Razali said.