Church factions argue over renewed violence

Church factions argue over renewed violence

JAKARTA (JP): Bickering camps in the Toba Batak Protestant
Church (HKBP) traded accusations yesterday about recent violence
between their supporters over the control of a community church
in North Sumatra.

A delegation of the camp which opposes the leadership of
bishop PWT Simanjuntak yesterday visited the Ministry of
Religious Affairs and the office of the National Commission on
Human Rights yesterday complaining about a violent incident in a
village near the city of Rantau Parapat in Labuhan Ratu regency.

The delegation, comprising 60 church members and clergymen
said that 14 houses belonging to their followers were destroyed
during a raid they said was carried out by hoodlums hired by
supporters of Bishop Simanjuntak.

A clergymen was injured during the attack and is still
undergoing hospital treatment, they said.

At the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the delegation met with
Julius Martawilaya, director of the Protestant community. At the
National Commission on Human Rights, they were met by Syafrudin
Bahar, a commission member.

HKBP, one of the largest Protestant denominations in
Indonesia, has been split into two groups over the last two
years. One group supports Bishop Simanjuntak, who also appears to
have the support of the government. The other group opposes his
leadership and has rallied behind SAE Nababan, the bishop ousted
by Simanjuntak.

A member of Bishop Simanjuntak's camp yesterday quickly denied
the accusation that the recent violence was started by his
supporters.

Reverend Bihelman Sidabutar, deputy chief of HKBP's District
VIII overseeing Java and West Kalimantan, said that it goes
against the teaching and the policy of the church to resort to
violence to settle disputes.

He told The Jakarta Post that the incident was "engineered" by
supporters of Nababan in an attempt to discredit the Church's
current leadership.

However, Reverend Mori Sihombing, who led the delegation, said
that the hoodlums were sent to the village to take over a church
controlled by congregations loyal to Bishop Nababan.

He also alleged that the local authorities supported the
attack on the church.

Syafruddin promised to bring up the issue at the next meeting
of the human rights commission.

He said the commission would also check with the military and
the government over allegations the authorities were involved in
the attack. (rms)