Jakarta – The Bekasi administrations of the recently attacked HKBP church is not an effective remedy as other beleaguered congregations in Greater Jakarta continue to face problems despite similar "solutions", Christians say.
Five years ago the Bekasi administration "lied when they told us they would provide with us a building." Rev. Hutajulu, a minister from the Indonesian Evangelical Christian Church (Gekindo), said Thursday.
The church was burned down in 2005 by hard-line groups claiming to represent local Muslim residents who demanded its closure, saying it lacked a permit.
"The administration then promised us a free place at the Bekasi Social Agency building but the agency asked us to pay Rp 4 million [US$440] every time we conduct Sunday service," Hutajulu told The Jakarta Post.
She said that as her 150-strong congregation refused to pay and therefore move, the Sunday service was disrupted by mobs. After twice paying to use the agency building, the congregation decided to hold services in each other's houses. Since late 2005, they have held religious activities in a shop house close to the Jatimulya bus terminal.
"We have repeatedly applied for a permit for our new church at the shop house, but the administration turned them down," she said.
On Wednesday, the Bekasi administration took a similar approach of promising space for the HKBP Pondok Timur Indah church, which has come under attack by people who claimed to represent area residents, The congregation has been conducting services in the area for 20 years.
The persecution peaked last Sunday with an attack that wounded church leaders who were on their way with other members of the congregation to the church construction site in Ciketing village.
The administration offered the congregation two sites in the city to hold religious services: a 2,500-square-meter lot owned by the administration and a privately owned 2,000-square-meter lot.
Five years ago, the Bekasi authorities also promised to accommodate the HKBP Getsemanie church, which was forced to move from a housing complex in Jatimulya following attacks by hard-liners.
"The Bekasi mayor and the Bekasi Police chief promised us an empty plot of land in the Grand Wisata housing complex in East Bekasi. We accepted the offer, but until now, they continue to renege on their promise," Rev. Erwin Marbun from HKBP Getsemanie told the Post.
"We paid the local interfaith forum [FKUB] Rp 2.5 million to assist us in 2008, but we never got the land," he said. The congregation currently rents a building on Jl. Kalimalang in East Jakarta and pays a security fee of more than Rp 1 million each time it holds a religious service.
Since moving to the building, Marbun said, they had never experienced any disruptions, but the congregation continued to conduct its activities in a climate of fear as the church still had difficulties obtaining a permit to use the building as a house of worship.
A Catholic church with a 5,300-strong congregation in Parung, Bogor, has also been forced to celebrate mass under tents since 2007 when local Muslim leaders objected to the church's construction. "We can only pray that God won't send us rain during our religious activities," church leader Alexander told the Post.
The church repeatedly applied for a permit, but have always been turned down. Alexander said he hoped his church would get its permit this year as the congregation had built a good relationship with locals.
"With the rising tension due to the [HKBP Pondok Timur Indah] incident, I'm afraid that our three-year effort to gain the trust of locals will turn ugly," he said. (rch)