Bekasi church stoned

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.