Govt has confusing stance on HKBP rift
Govt has confusing stance on HKBP rift
JAKARTA (JP): Officials yesterday sent mixed messages about
the government's position on the prolonged dispute within the
Toba Batak Protestant Church (HKBP).
The HKBP issue was raised in three separate hearings between
commissions of the House of Representatives (DPR) with Minister
of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M., Minister of Religious Affairs
Tarmizi Taher and Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung.
Yogie told the House's Commission II, which deals with
domestic politics, that the government only recognizes the HKBP
board led by bishop J.W.T. Simanjuntak, whom he said has replaced
S.A.E. Nababan.
Gen. Feisal, however, said that the government and ABRI will
not interfere in the HKBP dispute and remain neutral.
"That fact that President Soeharto recently received
Simanjuntak and Siahaan does not mean that the government has
recognized their leadership," Feisal told the House's Commission
I which deals with security affairs.
Simanjuntak and his secretary general S.M. Siahaan were
received by Soeharto in March to report the latest developments
within the HKBP. Both men after the meeting said the government
only recognizes one HKBP board, and that's the one they chair.
Meanwhile Tarmizi declined to comment on the status of the
current HKBP leadership, stressing that the dispute is an HKBP
matter, and the government will not interfere.
"No other people can help solve this dispute, except HKBP
leaders themselves," Tarmizi told a number of pro-Nababan HKBP
reverends who intercepted him after leaving Commission IX's
office. The commission deals with religious affairs.
Two hundred thirty reverends in black robes and about two
hundred followers of the North Sumatra-based church staged their
second day of peaceful protests in the House compound.
On Monday, they were met by House members from the government-
backed Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), who
promised to convey their wishes to relevant government officials.
Yesterday, a number of the reverends joined in the hearing at
the three commissions' offices while the others waited outside.
They were congregation members loyal to former bishop Nababan.
The HKBP bickering came to a climax when the military
sponsored a grand synod in Medan in March of last year which saw
the election of Simanjuntak as the new bishop.
His opponents however rejected the election, calling it
undemocratic, and have rallied their support behind Nababan.
The row has since erupted into clashes between the opposing
camps in various places, such as Jakarta, Bandung and a number of
towns in North Sumatra.
In a statement signed by 230 reverends, they demanded that the
military relinquish their right to use churches and liquidate the
security units it has set up to secure Simanjuntak's leadership.
Military
Feisal during the hearing yesterday stated that the military
has played no part in any HKBP affairs since the grand synod of
March 1993. ABRI will only step in when congregation members
commit crimes or endanger national stability, he said.
He also said that ABRI members are under strict orders not to
interfere in the feud. "If you see or know of any involvement by
ABRI members, report them to me and I will take stern action," he
told members of the House's Commission I.
Bihelman Sidabutar, chairman of HKBP Java and Kalimantan
districts, however attacked ABRI's stand-off policy, saying that
Feisal's remarks could trigger new clashes between the bickering
parties.
Sidabutar, who claimed to be neutral, said ABRI should instead
use its influence to bring the two sides to the negotiating
table.
During the meeting with Tarmizi, the protesting reverends
demanded assurances that their right to practice their religion
is respected by the government.
Tarmizi, while giving the guarantee they sought, said the
conflict has put the government in an awkward position.
Yogie said the best way out is for the two sides to work
towards a compromise and reunite their congregations. "We hope
that they will reconciliate." (rms/par/11)