Bekasi – In the latest attack by extremists on religious minorities in West Java, 300 Islamic hard-liners intimidated, bullied and assaulted a priest and 20 Christian churchgoers praying in a field in Bekasi on Sunday morning.

The attack follows an identical incident last Sunday, when 300 members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Islamic People's Forum (FUI) protested against members of the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) from Pondok Timur Indah.

Churchgoers have been worshipping in a field in Ciketing Asem after the Bekasi municipality sequestered their church and sealed it from use.

Bekasi Mayor Mochtar Mohammad reportedly promised to let the Christian group hold church activities in Bekasi's public areas and also agreed to send police to safeguard the church's activities. That appeared not to have happened on Sunday.

Reverend Luspida Simanjuntak told the Jakarta Globe that 20 churchgoers were praying in a field when they were surrounded and told to leave, which they refused to do.

The hard-liners then began to close in on the group and pushing followed. Luspida and another priest were also assaulted.

Luspida said the incident had prompted the group to file charges against the religious groups, alleging assault and defiling a religion.

She said she hoped the Bekasi local government would act to allow her congregation to pray in peace and safety. "Each time we pray, we are shadowed by terror. If we're not allowed to worship in the field, give us a facility elsewhere," she said.