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Jakarta. An attorney representing the suspects in the Sept. 12 attack on two church leaders in Bekasi argued on Thursday that the violence was triggered when a random motorcyclist bumped into a churchgoer.

The lawyer, Shalih Mangara Sitompul, said Murhali Barda, leader of the Bekasi chapter of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and a suspect for inciting the attack, was the only FPI member among the 10 suspects.

According to Shalih, his other nine clients were casually socializing in the Mustika Jaya subdistrict of Bekasi before things suddenly turned violent.

“Every Sunday they hang out. On their journey, they came across the churchgoers. Now, there happened to be an unidentified motorcyclist in the midst of [the suspects] who bumped into one of the churchgoers,” Shalih told reporters.

“The churchgoer shouted ‘Thief!’ The [suspects] were wearing white garb, and maybe because of that they were considered Muslims. So a clash occurred,” he said.

In the attack, Asia Sihombing, an elder of the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) of Pondok Timur Indah, was stabbed. The Rev. Luspida Simandjuntak was beaten with a stick while trying to protect Asia. The victims had been on the way to a field in Ciketing, Bekasi, where the congregation gathered for Sunday services.

“In the clash, one suspect, Ismail, 28, was hit in the head. His cheek was also punctured,” Shalih said.

Elaborating on the circumstances leading up to the melee, the attorney acknowledged that the suspects had been “hanging out together” on Sundays because Murhali had instructed them to gather at the field and protest the HKBP during its services.

“What I know is that [Murhali] invited the suspects to participate in a protest [against the churchgoers]. Murhali had sent off a short text message to local residents a few days before the incident,” Shalih said.

The Jakarta Police on Wednesday arrested Murhali on suspicion of being behind the attacks on the Christians. He faces charges of inciting people to violence, group violence, maltreatment and premeditated attempt to cause serious injuries.

Separately, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar on Thursday urged the congregation to find a new place to worship, in accordance with a decision issued by West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan the day before that barred them from practicing their faith in the field.

“We urge them to follow the decision made by the local administration, for the sake of maintaining security. All parties want the security situation to be maintained,” Boy told reporters. “The rights of the HKBP followers will also be upheld.

“The solution offered by the West Java provincial administration and Bekasi administration is one way of resolving this issue.”

The government has offered two other plots of land in Bekasi for the congregation to buy and build a church on.

The Christians had been forced to worship in the field because the Bekasi administration in June had sealed the house where they held services, citing complaints from residents

Meanwhile, human rights groups met with Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, the National Police chief of detectives, on Thursday to remind him that HKBP’s situation was not unique, and that other churches throughout West Java have had similar difficulties establishing a place of worship.

Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and Human Rights Watch told Ito that religious minority groups in the province regularly faced opposition.

“This is a shared problem,” said Hendardi, the chairman of Setara.

He pointed out, for instance, that banners had been put up around the vacant lot in Ciketing in order to incite hatred against churchgoers there. He added that the banners were “enough evidence for police to immediately act. [The suspects] meant to attack.”

Hendardi added that the churchgoers were also requesting that Bekasi Police Chief Sr. Comr. Imam Sugianto be replaced.

“We believe he was not only negligent. He was reluctant to take responsive action,” Hendardi said.