Kate Lamb, Jakarta – Indonesia is struggling to live up to its national motto "unity in diversity" after a mob attack on a church left one dead and the authorities responded by demolishing more churches.
The attack took place in the conservative province of Aceh, the only region in Indonesia that has sharia law and where religious tension has been brewing for months.
A mob wielding sharp weapons torched the small Protestant church in the district of Aceh Singkil last week, saying it lacked an official permit. One Muslim vigilante was shot dead in the attack, while thousands of Christians fled to a neighbouring province.
Bishop Elson Lingga visited Aceh Singkil the day after the attack and said there was a deep sense of unease in the villages. "After the event everyone is suspicious of each other, thinking, 'Are they the ones that reported us?' They are afraid of their Muslim neighbours," he said.
Hardliners in the district have used the media to call for almost all of the 22 churches in Aceh Singkil to be torn down. In September unknown attackers burned down another church in the middle of the night.
After the latest attack the district police chief was replaced for his poor handling of the conflict. But in a move intended to ensure security, police officers took sledgehammers to four other churches this week.
"The police were ensuring security for the local authorities," said a national police spokesman, Brigadier General Agus Rianto. "To maintain order based on the agreement between those involved – the buildings did not have a permit."
Permits for houses of worship in Indonesia are granted by local religious harmony forums, or FKUB. When Muslim and Christian members of the FKUB in Aceh Singkil decided that 10 of 22 churches in the district would be torn down, it was their decision the police was enforcing.
It was not a decision that Christian priests in Aceh Singkil felt at liberty to dispute. Bishop Elson said on the day of the meeting his pastor had been escorted by police and "forced to sign".
"Of course, they were intimidated," said a Human Rights Watch researcher, Andreas Harsono. "They told me that attending the meeting, they felt like they were on trial."
After receiving death threats one priest has gone into hiding.
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world but is also home to a minority population of Christians, Buddhists and Hindus. The country has long prided itself on its reputation for religious diversity and tolerance and is often pointed to as an exemplar of moderate Islam.
But the FKUB system of regulating place of worship is blamed for rising discrimination because Muslims often have a veto on permit decisions.
"The problem with these attacks on religious places of worship is that it always seems to be done within the realm of regulation, within the law," said a moderate Muslim activist, Yenny Wahid. "The ones that are asked to be dismantled are the ones that did not get the permit."
President Joko Widodo took to Twitter after the attack, calling for an end to the violence and describing it as an assault on Indonesia's religious diversity.