A conflict resolution meeting with the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin in Bogor, West Java, was marked by the absence of Bogor mayor Diano Budiarto, who suspended GKI Yasmin's building permit in 2008, saying that its existence could disrupt religious harmony in the surrounding area.

According to Presidential Advisory Council member Albert Hasibuan on Thursday, Diani was unable to attend was because he had another meeting with other West Java mayors in his office.

Albert, of the council's law and human rights division, had only received notice of the mayor's planned absence on Wednesday. The meeting was then conducted without the mayor's presence.

There were 10 participants representing GKI Yasmin, the National Defense Council and the Presidential Advisory Council, which tried to reach a win-win solution.

Lt. Gen. Yuniarto Harun, of the National Defense Council, called for interfaith tolerance, and asked the Bogor mayor to obey the Supreme Court's decision on church construction.

The mayor had ignored a Supreme Court ruling ordering the opening of the church and a recommendation from the National Ombudsman Commission saying that members of the GKI Yasmin congregation should be allowed to perform religious practices in their own church.

"GKI Yasmin representatives have announced their support for a win-win solution, as it promotes the concept of interfaith tolerance," Albert said, as quoted by tempo.co on Thursday.

However, Albert acknowledged that he was still in the dark about how the Bogor mayor would react. (png/dic)