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)