Camelia Pasandaran – The Ombudsman commission on Thursday sent a letter to the president and Supreme Court reporting the Bogor mayor's continued defiance of legal orders to unseal the embattled GKI Yasmin church.

"We have sent the letter to the president reporting the disobedience of the mayor toward the law, the Supreme court ruling and the ombudsman's recommendation," said Danang Girindrawardana, chairman of the commission. "We also sent the same letter to the House this morning."

The Bogor administration had issued a building permit for GKI Yasmin in 2006, but revoked it two years later, alleging that the church had falsified the signatures required to obtain it.

The Supreme Court ruled in December that the closure was unlawful and ordered its reopening, but the city government has ignored the ruling. The mayor has used several excuses to keep the church closed, most recently saying there should not be a church on a street with an Islamic name. Church members have been forced to hold services on the sidewalk.

But tensions between church members and the local government have heightened recently. On Sunday, the congregation clashed with public order officers (Satpol PP) who sought to move the worshippers. Each side alleged the other had carried out acts of violence.

On Monday, the church received a "final ultimatum" from the government, who said that the sidewalk services would no longer would be tolerated.

Danang said on Monday that he expected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take firm action against Diani for his blatant defiance.

"Up until now, the Bogor mayor has had no good intention to obey the ruling," he said. "So, the president has to take strict action after receiving our report. Otherwise, it is going to be a precedent for other regions to follow the bad example."

The Ombudsman commission itself has no power to sanction, but can refer parties to authorities.

Regardless of the threats received by GKI congregation members, church spokesman Bona Sigalingging said that the congregation would still pray on the sidewalk this coming Sunday. "We will still come," Bona said. "Even though we might be slaughtered, we will still come."