Govt slow to act, Sang Timur expects fresh conflict

Govt slow to act, Sang Timur expects fresh conflict

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said pluralism was a blessing
for Indonesia and not a threat to national unity. However, this
sentiment is apparently not shared or understood by all
Indonesians. An example of this are the threats by religious
extremists ahead of the Christmas celebrations. Some Indonesians
clearly have not grasped the meaning or spirit of pluralism, and
are still easily provoked to participate in ethnic or religious
conflicts -- often sparked by trivial incidents. The Jakarta
Post's Abdul Khalik has delved into these sensitive issues. This
is the third of four articles dealing with society's
understanding of pluralism.

The situation at three residential areas in Greater Jakarta --
the Ministry of Finance housing complex, the Barata housing
complex and houses along Jl. Palawa -- surrounding the Sang Timur
Catholic School in Karang Tengah, Tangerang, appeared normal and
peaceful.

Students chatted along the shady Jl. Palawa, one of two access
roads to the school. Others stood in front of a food stall along
the road, waiting for their orders.

The only thing out of the ordinary was a locked chain sealing
the school's main gate in the Ministry of Finance housing
complex, and concrete walls outside the school compound at the
end of both Jl. Palawa and Jl. Barata.

"This calm situation is only skin deep. We are still waiting
for progress on the problem. I'm afraid more conflicts are
inevitable," Ridwan, a resident of Jl. Palawa, said.

Hillon Goa, chairman of the school's parents forum, said the
students could continue study but were still under pressure.

"We are still trying to negotiate with all the relevant
parties, including the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM), the local government and Tangerang councilors, to
seek an amicable solution. The process has been very slow and
many of us have run out of patience," he said.

The Sang Timur Foundation has been accused of violating its
permit by holding religious services for the Saint Bernadette
parish for the past 12 years. On Oct. 3, the Karang Tengah
Islamic Communication Forum and the Islamic Youth Front, claiming
to represent local residents, blocked the school's main gate,
forcing school administrators to give students a week's holiday.

There have been several efforts by both the school
administration and community leaders to resolve the situation,
including inviting former president Abdurahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
and National Commission for Children's Protection (Komnas PA)
chairman Seto Mulyadi to mediate in the dispute. There also have
been discussions of the problem with local authorities, but
little progress has been made. Instead, more walls have been
built.

"The roots of the problems are both religious and non-
religious. We have been accused of planning to build a church
here. Although we have the right to do so, we don't have such a
plan. We are holding services here temporarily while waiting for
the construction of our church somewhere else," Hillon said.

Hillon realizes that residents may have been disturbed on
Saturdays and Sundays when about 9,000 people arrive at the
school for church services.

"We agreed not to build a church and to stop holding services
here. We are also willing to discuss building our own access way
to the school," he added.

The chairman of the Karang Tengah Islamic Communication Forum,
Moegdan Razak, and Islamic Youth Forum chairman Ali Basauli said
the problem was sparked by complaints from residents disturbed by
the number of cars passing along the small roads, causing
congestion and pollution.

"Imagine if thousands of cars fill the neighborhood. It is
ridiculous that an institution like Sang Timur had no plan to
build its own access from the beginning. They can't expect to use
our roads forever," said Moegdan.

He acknowledged that the dispute had escalated to the issues
of church construction and converting Muslims into Catholics.

"On Oct. 3, Sang Timur signed an agreement with us to stop the
services. But on Oct. 18, Saint Bernadette sent a letter to the
President, the Tangerang mayor and the authorities, asking for
permission to build a church inside the school complex. We can't
believe them anymore. It's better if they move from here,"
Moegdan said.

Rahmat Bahari of the Institute for Policy and Community
Development Studies urged the government to take action to
prevent this dispute from recurring or escalating.

"Local politics have their own dynamics. Just because the
local authorities are afraid of losing the support of the
majority of residents, they treat others unfairly. They can't
just leave it up to the locals. Influential figures such as
cleric Aa' Gym or People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat
Nur Wahid should be involved in providing a more tolerant point
of view," he said.