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.