Vento Saudale, Yuli Krisna & Ulma Haryanto – The embattled GKI Yasmin church in Bogor questioned on Monday whether there was police discrimination in the naming of one of its members a suspect in an alleged assault.

The church member, Jayadi Damanik, was named a suspect in an incident in October last year when Bambang Budiyanto, the chief of the Bogor administration's Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), was allegedly knocked unconscious during a confrontation with worshippers.

Bona Sigalingging, spokesman for the GKI Yasmin church, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that the church had reported Bambang to police for obstructing religious services twice.

The first incident was in April 2010 when Satpol PP sealed off the church for the first time, and the second in October last year when officers blocked the congregation from praying on the sidewalk in front of their illegally sealed church.

"Out of all of our reports, the West Java Police only followed up on one case," Bona said, referring to the charges that were laid against Jayadi.

West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Putut Eko Bayuseno denied that his officers were discriminating against the church and its congregation. "We are processing both reports and not singling out anyone," he said.

West Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul added that it was purely "by chance" that Bambang's report was the one with the most sufficient evidence. "There was enough evidence to name Jayadi a suspect," the spokesman said.

Jayadi has been charged with unpleasant conduct and assault, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Martinus said that since Jayadi had been cooperative with authorities he would not be detained.

He added that in the case against Bambang, police had questioned 14 witnesses. "When we have enough evidence, we will also name Bambang a suspect," Martinus said.

A copy of a letter from the Bogor Police in May 2010 stated it had found "sufficient preliminary evidence that a crime has occurred," referring to the report against Bambang.

The letter, which was signed by Adj. Comr. Indra Gunawan, the general crimes unit chief, was in response to the first report of Satpol PP sealing the church's complex. The explanation did not satisfy Bona, who said it was another case of the victim being treated like the aggressor.

"This is what happened to Ahmadiyah," Bona said, referring to a minority Islamic sect that has suffered ongoing intimidation by hard-line Muslims and government officials.

One of the Ahmadis who was attacked in February last year received a longer sentence than his attackers, who got off with five and a half months in jail. The Ahmadi was convicted of supposedly provoking a deadly attack on his own members by insisting on holding his ground and facing the attackers instead of fleeing.

Lily Wahid, one of few politicians in support of GKI Yasmin's plight, regretted West Java police's move. "Satpol PP was being aggressive, there was a lot of pushing and the guy fell. The police are just trying to find GKI Yasmin at fault," Lily said.