Vento Saudale & Ulma Haryanto – The controversy-plagued Yasmin church in Bogor has received a "final ultimatum" from local authorities seeking its relocation.
"The government will no longer tolerate GKI Yasmin. The enforcement by police [on Sunday] was the final ultimatum from the city to stop the congregation from praying on the sidewalks," Bogor secretary Ade Syarif Hidayat said on Monday.
He said the congregation was forbidden to pray on the sidewalk in front of the closed church building since the location will now be used for a park.
On Sunday, the congregation clashed with police public order officers (Satpol PP) who sought to move the worshippers. Each side alleged the other had carried out acts of violence.
GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging told the Jakarta Globe that the congregation was unafraid of the ultimatum. "The incident on Oct. 9 was actually the third [ultimatum]," Bona said.
Bona said that since Sept. 25 the Bogor administration had told the congregation three times that it would be the last time they could pray there.
"But we are resolute – we will not stop praying there until what is rightfully ours, our church, is reopened," Bona said. "We will come there to pray. Be it only for five minutes, we will come every week."
GKI Yasmin, he said, had filed a police report against Bogor's Satpol PP head, Bambang Budiyanto, for using violent means to prevent a religious ceremony.
Jayadi Damanik a member of the congregation, dismissed Bambang's allegations on Sunday that it was a member of the church that began the violence by beating a Satpol PP officer. "He can say anything, but many people saw the incident," Jayadi told the Jakarta Globe.
Jayadi said that when the police tried to disperse the congregation, he lost his balance. As he fell, he grabbed Bambang's arm, but the officer threw him back. Satpol PP's complaint accuses Jayadi of attacking its members first.
Meanwhile, Bogor Police chief Adj. Comr. Hilman called on both sides to restrain themselves. He said that while his force will investigate the incident he will also try to mediate peace between the two camps.
Danang Girindrawardana, the head of the Ombudsman commission, said the body would report Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this week.
"It is up to the President to follow up our report. He has the authority to reprimand the Bogor mayor and the Home Affairs Ministry and force them to abide by the law," Danang said.
The roughly 300 members of the GKI Yasmin church have been relegated to the sidewalk for prayer since April 2010, when their church complex was sealed by the Bogor administration on the order of the mayor. Diani has defied legal orders that the church be reopened.