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)