Camelia Pasandaran – Unfazed by a meeting they had with the president to clarify their accusation that the government has been lying to the public, a group of religious leaders on Wednesday said they would open centers to receive public reports on government lies.

"As a result of the public enthusiasm shown during a public hearing at the office of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), the working council of the Interfaith Religious Movement has decided to declare the establishment of centers to report on lies told to the public," Chalid Muhammad, the working council's coordinator, said.

Speaking at the opening of one such center at the Maarif Institute for Culture and Humanity in Jakarta, Chalid said other centers would also be opened in the regions.

He said the regional offices of various organizations such as the PGI, the Indonesian Bishops Conference, the Maarif Institute offices, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), Migrant Care, the Catholic Student Association (PMKRI), Indonesia Corruption Watch and the Wahid Institute, would also house centers.

"We need to ask the public's opinion, whether they feel the government has lied to them or not," said Effendi Gazali, a member of the working council.

"The purpose is good, to rectify the government's weaknesses, for a better future." Fajar Riza Ul Haq, executive director of the Maarif Institute, said the interfaith movement had singled out 18 government lies in various sectors, including in unresolved corruption investigations.

Its allegations clearly irritated the government, with Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto convening a special press conference to deny the accusations and object to the government being called a liar.

"We're sure there are more lies," Fajar told a press conference. "To prove this, we are opening these centers so that we can tell the government that they have lots of work to do."

The religious leaders cited among the lies the government's reluctance to solve the murder of human rights activist Munir, the failure to uphold justice for victims of the Lapindo mudflow disaster and dishonest data used to claim government success in poverty reduction.

They also pointed to failure in promoting inter-religious harmony and the unresolved probe into the attack on Indonesian Corruption Watch activist Tama Satrya Langkun.