Jakarta – Hundreds of congregation members of the GKI Taman Yasmin church, which is situated in Bogor, Greater Jakarta, staged a protest on Sunday in front of the State Palace.

They demanded President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono address the continued discrimination and intimidation against the church's congregation.

"We came here so that the highest leader would help settle this problem, for the sake of the supremacy of law and preservation of diversity in Indonesia," GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging said Sunday as quote by kompas.com.

He said members of the GKI Yasmin congregation still faced intimidation, with two attempts in the last one month by Bogor public order officers and hard-line group members to disperse the congregation during a Sunday service.

"We received circular information on behalf of the Bogor Mayor that told us not to conduct services in our church or its surroundings. This is a form of intimidation," Bona said.

The Bogor administration, which has cited problems with the church's permit, has barred the congregation from conducting religious services inside the church for more than two years, defying a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed the congregation's right to holding services at the church.

The peaceful protest was held amid pouring rain. Dozens of police officers were seen standing guard. (iwa/mtq)