Catholic school parents consider police report<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The parents of children attending the Sang Timur Catholic School
\nin Ciledug, Tangerang, are considering filing a complaint with
\nthe police following the almost complete sealing off the school
\nfor more than two weeks by a zealot group.<\/p>\n
\"We are still trying to resolve the matter amicably. Should
\nthis fail, we may report the case to the police as a last
\nresort,\" parents' forum chairman Hillon Goa said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said that should no amicable solution be possible, the
\nparents would lodge a complaint with the Tangerang Police on
\nThursday, although he was not yet sure precisely what the
\ncontents of the complaint would be.<\/p>\n
\"Our legal advisors are still working out the specific
\ndetails,\" he said. \"Obviously, we will be requesting that the
\ngovernment ensure that the basic, constitutional right of our
\nchildren to an education is fulfilled.\"<\/p>\n
Hillon explained that although the children had returned to
\nschool, they would still be afraid and insecure -- which would
\naffect their studies -- as long as the problem persisted.<\/p>\n
A group calling itself the Karang Tengah Islamic Communication
\nForum held a rally at the school on Oct. 3, protesting that
\nCatholic religious services were being held there.<\/p>\n
The rally ended with the group sealing the school's front
\nentrance gate with a two-meter-high concrete wall, which forced
\nthe school to postpone the return to school of its 2,417 students
\n-- including 137 autistic and mentally retarded children -- for a
\nweek.<\/p>\n
As the back entrance to the school is inconvenient for the
\nchildren, the school decided to open a new entrance on its
\neastern side to provide easier access for them.<\/p>\n
However, on Wednesday morning the same group stopped all
\nvehicles dropping off students at the new gate.<\/p>\n
Upon learning of the new incident, dozens of parents
\nimmediately came to the school to pick up their children.<\/p>\n
Ibu Mega, one of the parents, said she had decided to come to
\nthe school in person as she was worried that her 11-year-old
\ndaughter, who is in fifth grade, would be further traumatized.<\/p>\n
\"She recently lost her father. With this trouble at the
\nschool, I've noticed that her grades have been dropping,\" she
\nsaid. \"I have been thinking of taking her to a psychiatrist.\"<\/p>\n
Parents have also reported their dilemma to the executive
\nboard of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest and most
\ninfluential Muslim organization.<\/p>\n
Following a meeting on Tuesday night with the chairman of the
\nNU's advisory board, Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, Hillon said Gus
\nDur had expressed a willingness to help settle the case, while
\nmaking clear that the NU would not tolerate one-sided actions
\nthat violated the law.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Indonesian Catholic Community Forum has
\nreported the case to the National Commission on Human Rights
\n(Komnas HAM). Officials from commission visited the school last
\nweek to collect information of the case.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/catholic-school-parents-consider-police-report-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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