Religious freedom still restricted in RI: Report

Religious freedom still restricted in RI: Report

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom,
discrimination on the basis of religious belief is a cause for
concern in this country, according to the United States' 2005
International Religious Freedom Report.

The report released by the U.S. State Department on Wednesday
said that certain policies, laws and official actions had
restricted religious freedom, and security authorities had
occasionally tolerated discrimination against and abuse of
religious groups by private actors.

"The (Indonesian) government continued to restrict the
construction and expansion of houses of worship. It also
maintained a ban on the use of private homes for worship unless
the local community approved and a regional office of the home
affairs ministry provided a license...," the report said.

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country, is one of 14 Asian
countries tarred by the international report. The countries
include China, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Myanmar and North Korea.

The report also cited the recent forced closure of three
churches in Jakarta and that of Catholic school Sang Timur in
Tangerang, Banten.

Muslims have also reported difficulties in establishing
mosques in the Muslim-minority provinces of Papua and North
Sulawesi.

The State Department also reported that people who did not
follow one of the five major religions recognized by the
government often faced "official discrimination", such as not
being issued official documents such as identity cards (KTPs) and
birth certificates.

The report has sparked mixed reactions from religious
organizations in Indonesia.

Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the
country, denounced the report, saying developed countries had
frequently released such reports in the name of human rights to
ostracize developing countries, including Indonesia.

"We are not surprised. It is not strange for such a report to
have been released by the State Department because they have
their own interests. The abuse of human rights, including
religious freedom, still occurs in that country. The
discrimination against and the harassment of the minority group
of Muslims still happens right under their noses," Muhammadiyah
chairman Din Syamsudin told The Jakarta Post.

Din acknowledged that tension among religious communities had
often occurred in this country, but said it was basically
triggered by socioeconomic and political factors.

Secretary-general of the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI)
Mgr. Ignatius Suharyo appreciated the report, saying religious
freedom had remained a crucial issue in the country despite the
amended 1945 Constitution, which guarantees all citizens the
right to worship according to his or her religion or belief.

He cited the bombings of several churches between 2000 and
2002, the forced closure of Christian worship places in Jakarta
and West Java and the difficulties experienced by minority groups
in obtaining the necessary permits to set up houses of worship.

Suharyo, also archbishop of the Semarang diocese, said the key
problems were the government's intervention in religious affairs
and its failure to respect religious freedom.