Kesbangpol Steps In in Tasik to Investigate Burning of Suspected Deviant Religious Compound

The Unity and Politics Agency (Kesbangpol) of West Java Province is deploying a team to investigate the incident at the Saung Taraju Jumantara (STJ) compound by a mob in Purwarahayu Village, Tasikmalaya Regency. Head of Kesbangpol for West Java Province, Wahyu Mijaya, stated that the team’s presence aims to ease tensions between the two parties and prevent further incidents after the burning of the compound’s building or saung last week. “We are sending a team there to monitor developments, as it is currently being mediated by Tasikmalaya Regency. We want to ensure such events do not recur,” said Wahyu on Tuesday (7/4). For now, Wahyu added, the followers of Saung Taraju Jumantara are not officially registered with Kesbangpol. “Neither the Copo Taraju Jomantara compound nor Saung Taraju Jomantara is recorded with Kesbangpol,” he said. Previously reported, a mob action involving arson occurred in Purwarahayu Village, Taraju, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java, in the middle of last week. The arson is suspected to have targeted the building or saung serving as the STJ compound located in the middle of rice fields in Babakan Salak Hamlet, Purwarahayu Village. Video footage of the saung burning carried out by a group of people at a location suspected to be a deviant sect site went viral on social media. Earlier this week, Head of Public Relations for West Java Police, Commissioner Pol Hendra Rochmawan, stated that the arson occurred after a group of residents suspected the saung location of being a site for activities of a deviant sect group. The arson action took place on Wednesday (1/4). Hendra said that upon the incident, police immediately arrived at the scene. To the police, residents claimed to be uneasy about activities suspected to be conducted by the deviant sect group. Additionally, residents were angry at the saung owner, known by initials K, as K was accused of blaspheming religion. “The residents’ action was successfully calmed, and they soon dispersed,” said Hendra on Monday (6/4). Hendra stated that his side has not yet been able to conclude whether deviant sect activities truly occurred at the saung. His side also cannot yet confirm the alleged blasphemy as accused by residents.