Bekasi church stoned

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of people on motorcycles threw stones on Sunday morning at a shophouse that served as a church in Cikarang housing estate, Bekasi.

Bekasi Police chief Adj. Snr. Comr. Djoko Susilo said that the people had attacked the building as church officials had not heeded their warnings.

The people had objected to the presence of the church in the shophouse and had repeatedly threatened to damage the property if church officials did not stop holding religious services in the building, according to Djoko.

When the situation became heated about two weeks ago, a meeting involving local residents, the authorities and church officials was held. The church officials agreed to stop holding religious services in the shophouse, while the people threatened to damage the building if they did not stick to the agreement.

The people renewed their threat last night, which prompted the police to deploy personnel to the shophouse to prevent any unlawful incidents.

In the morning they left, as nothing had happened during the night.

"But after we had left, people came and stoned the building. The police quickly returned, but the people had all gone by then," Djoko said, adding that two platoons of personnel were sent to safeguard the church.

"Whatever their reason behind the attack, the vandalism was unjustified," he added.

Eight witnesses were questioned but police did not arrest anyone in connection with the incident.

Earlier reports said one church and one shophouse that served as a church in Bekasi were seriously damaged by mobs, while one house that served as a church was set on fire one Sunday in early December 1999.