Jakarta – Leaders from various religious organizations demanded Tuesday that the government clamp down on inter-religion conflicts.

The groups held an end-of-year reflection titled "Our Threatened Diversity", organized by the Wahid Institute and the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI).

The discussion, at the Council's office in Central Jakarta, resulted in five demands, signed by 30 representatives from 21 religious organizations, according to Trisno S. Sutanto of the Community of Dialogs between Religions.

Trisno said the number of religious conflicts at the moment was so great that it required a statement from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

"The President must reconfirm (that he is) committed to (protect) every citizen's right to religious freedom by issuing a statement that guarantees legal protection."

Ahmad Duaedy from the Wahid Institute said the government had been doing the opposite. "The government has allowed and even endorsed violent acts against certain religious groups. The government has failed in providing and protecting our religious freedoms."

In November, the Indonesian Council of Ulema issued an edict on "heretical" Islamic sects. Since then, the leader of the Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah sect has been arrested and an Ahmadiyah mosque has been shut down.

Early last month, residents and officials of Tambora in West Jakarta prevented Catholics from holding services in a 40-year-old church located there.