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Lawsuit over church renovation being heard in Batam
The plan to renovate an 85-year-old church has met resistance from two groups in Karimun regency.
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Illustration of a church. (Shutterstock/Chiangrai)
T
anjungpinang State Administrative Court (PTUN) in Batam, Riau Islands has started hearings into a lawsuit against the Karimun One-Stop Integrated Service (PTSP) over a building permit granted for the renovation of the 85-year-old Santo Josep Karimun Church.
The plaintiff, the Karimun Regency Caring Alliance (APKK), is demanding that the permit be revoked.
The first session commenced with the plaintiff explaining why.
APKK lawyer Bambang Hardijusno said the renovation of a large building like the church would cause traffic congestion around the area.
"The first reason is that it will cause traffic congestion and the second reason is that the building has been planned to be inaugurated as a cultural heritage building by the Tourism Agency. It would be a pity if the current building was to be destroyed. Its historical value would diminish as well," Bambang told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
However, the head priest of the Santo Josep Church, Romo Kristiono Widodo, told the court that the church would not be the cause of traffic congestion in the area because the church was already in existence before the streets themselves.
Bambang said that he personally and as the APKK's lawyer had been well acquainted with the members of the Santo Joseph Church management for many years.
