Tension runs high in Bekasi over Sunday services

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Tensions are running high in the Jati Mulya housing complex in Bekasi, West Java, with some 1,500 Christians demanding their places of worship be reopened with local Muslims insisting they are shut down for good.

Secretary of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) for Bekasi area Hotman Hutasoit said on Friday the Christians -- coming from three churches the HKBP, Gekindo and GPDI -- had decided to hold Sunday services on the streets if local residents keep blocking roads to their three places of worship.

"Holding a Sunday service is our basic need just like eating and drinking. We can't just stop doing it. We will conduct the Sunday services even if several residents here threaten us," he told The Jakarta Post.

A clash almost broke out last Sunday between members of the three congregations and local Muslim residents, several of whom claimed to be members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), when Christians held services on the streets inside the housing complex.

There was brief pushing and pulling between the two groups but no violence occurred as around 100 police officers were deployed to the housing complex.

Hotman said that their efforts, including discussions with authorities and a dialog with local residents, had failed to resolve the dispute.

The dispute began in September, when a group of Muslims blocked all roads leading to the HKBP, Gekindo and GPDI places of worship.

After several days of discussion, local Muslims insisted that the 13-year old churches had to be closed down as they had not obtained building permits.

Local authorities said they were still trying to find other locations for Christians to hold their Sunday services.

Jati Mulya village chief Sulaiman said local residents wanted the three places of worship to be closed permanently.

"Local residents want the Christians to hold their services outside Jati Mulya village and the Bekasi regent has recently issued a decree prohibiting the buildings being used for Sunday services. The regent, police, church representatives and myself have discussed alternative locations for them," he told Post.

Secretary of Bekasi Regency Herry Koesaeri confirmed Friday that they were looking for places where the three congregations could build churches.

Many churches in Bandung and the Greater Jakarta area have been forcefully shut down by hard-line Muslim groups, including the FPI and the Anti-Apostasy Movement Alliance (AGAP).

PGI leader Andreas A. Yewangoe complained to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono earlier about the closure of 23 churches in Bandung by hard-line groups since September 2004.

Christians have long considered a 1969 joint ministerial decree as the root of the problem.

The decree requires that congregations wishing to build a house of worship to secure approval from the head of local administration and seek permission from local residents.

With Indonesia being predominantly Muslims, minority Christians often have difficulties in building churches, and instead use houses, shop-houses or hotels to hold services.