Hindu and Christian leaders solve Katung case peacefully
Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Representatives of both Christian and Hindu communities in Katung, Kintamani, some 45 kilometers northwest of here, held a reconciliation meeting here on Monday aimed to reaching a settlement after the recent torching of houses belonging to Christian residents in the village.
The meeting, which was organized by Bangli Police precinct chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Heru Teguh Prayitno, ended with both sides agreeing to resolve any differences they might have through peaceful methods, instead of resorting to violence.
"The meeting took place at the Bangli police post. I must say, we are very happy with the results of the meeting," Adj. Sr. Comr. Yatim Suyatmo, spokesman for the Bali Provincial Police, said here on Monday.
Yatim said both parties had also agreed to try to find out the root of the problem, which has strained the normally good ties between the Christian and Hindu communities in the village.
Both sides also promised that should another problem arise in the future, they would try their best to address it in accordance with the law.
"They also agreed to rebuild the damaged houses together," Suyatmo said.
He emphasized, however, that the successful outcome would not in any way affect the police's commitment to investigating the incident thoroughly.
"We will continue our investigation to find out who was responsible for the attack. The local police have already questioned six people who, we assume, probably had some role in or were connected with the attack," Suyatmo added.
The attack, which took place an hour before midnight last Wednesday, forced 21 Balinese Christians to flee their village after a mob stormed into their homes. Some ten buildings, two cars and a motorbike were torched and two other buildings were badly damaged in the attack. No fatalities were reported, although one Balinese Christian, I Ketut Kirim, was severely injured in the incident.
One of the Christian representatives who attended the meeting, I Nyoman Parwita, described the atmosphere as both open and friendly.
"Since the Bangli Police chief has already given us his guarantee over the security situation in Katung, and the leaders of the village's customary council have also expressed their commitment to protecting the Balinese Christians, then, as of tomorrow, we will begin the process of returning to the village," Parwita said.
The Christians were currently being sheltered in a church in Bangli.
Separately, the local chapter of The Indonesian Christian Student Movement (GMKI) in a statement issued last Saturday, expressed its regret over the incident and lambasted the government for its belated response. It also demanded that the state's security apparatus provide protection to all the people of Katung, regardless of their beliefs.