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Christian Charged With Assault in Bogor Church Fight
January 30, 2012

Members of Bogor’s GKI Yasmin church congregation held their service in front of the State Palace in Jakarta in this file photo. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal) Members of Bogor’s GKI Yasmin church congregation held their service in front of the State Palace in Jakarta in this file photo. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)
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Solomon-Indonesia
8:43am Jan 31, 2012

Dear notreadeeyet, your observation is very true and accurate. Thank you for pointing that up.

I really do hope this fiasco will end as soon as possible. But again, maybe HE has a better long term plan that we do not see. All things good happen for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Peace be with all of you!


notreadeeyet
4:01pm Jan 30, 2012

I look at the JG photos of these Christian members and then I compare them to the JG photos of Islamists from the GARIS, FPI, FUI, etc members and I have to say, the facial differences are astounding.

The Christians have normal peaceful expressions on their faces, even whilst shouting slogans in front of the palace. Look at the antagonists and all you see are faces contorted with evil and hate and barely controlled violence..... Wake up Indonesian moderate Muslims... These are the global and public faces representing YOUR BELOVED RELIGION!!!!!!!!!! No wonder the non Muslim world has an inherent aversion to Islam!

exbrit
2:48pm Jan 30, 2012

If the mayor does not obey the Supreme Court, why is he still the mayor? What is the point of have a Supreme Court if anyone can just ignore its decisions?


human2
12:12pm Jan 30, 2012

This case is getting more and more disturbing by the week. SBY sby sby (echoing emptiness) where where where are are are u u u. This country is an ship with no captain. This is not going anywhere good. We have violent groups harassing innocent people and if one of them does retaliate he/she goes to jail not the instigator or aggressor in the first place. Pancacilla is not being followed by the government. How about cancelling flag raising and reading of pancacilla at schools because it is a farce to think anyone could be proud of this country at the moment and freedom of religion is a distant memory. God, Allah, Buddha or captain kirk help us...

jchay
11:25am Jan 30, 2012

Quote: "I am surprised. [It is] as if we are not living in Indonesia. The case better suits other countries that do not recognize religious freedom and diversity,” she said."

Bu Indah Kurnia, welcome to Bogor, the capital city of Republic of Indonistan!

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An embattled Indonesian church at the center of a long-running dispute with Indonesian authorities that has attracted headlines around the world, confirmed on Monday that one of its members has been named a suspect by police for alleged assault.

Bona Sigalingging, spokesman for the GKI Yasmin church in Bogor near Jakarta, told the Jakarta Globe that West Java Police had named Jayadi Damanik a suspect.

The charges relate to 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 said that the church had reported Bambang to police for using violence to obstruct a religious ceremony and Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto for obstructing a religious service.

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

Contact on Monday morning, Jayadi confirmed he was on his way to West Java Police headquarters in the provincial capital Bandung.

Bona said again a victim was being treated like a criminal.

“This is what happened to Ahmadiyah,” Bona said, referring to a minor Islamic sect that has suffered ongoing intimidation by government officials and hard-line organizations.

On Sunday, the embattled congregation took its Sunday service 60 kilometers north of its usual spot in Bogor to the front of the State Palace in Jakarta in a bid to get the president to directly resolve a long-standing dispute.

“We want the attention of the central government, particularly the president. We have endured years of discrimination,” Bona said on Sunday.

The GKI Yasmin church has been illegally sealed off by the Bogor city administration on the pretext that congregation leaders doctored a petition needed to obtain a building permit.

The church has been offered a new location and compensation, but so far it has refused to move.

Since 2008, the congregation has been forced to hold Sunday services on the sidewalk outside the church or in the homes of parishioners, in the face of continued protests and intimidation by Islamic hard-line groups.

Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto has come under criticism for ignoring a 2010 Supreme Court order to lift a ban he placed on the church in 2008. He has insisted there were indications that the congregation falsified local residents’ signatures of support for the construction of the church.

Bona said the dispute is no longer a local matter, given the mayor’s defiance of the rule of law.

“In fact, [Diani] has let radical intolerant groups intimidate the congregation repeatedly, with increasing intensity,” Bona said.

Rain that drenched much of Jakarta on Sunday failed to deter the congregation from staging its service in front of the palace.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Indah Kurnia attended the service and called for intervention from the central government.

“All it takes is a little courage from the president and his ministers to take action against the mayor,” Indah said, adding that the president should see the case as a test determining the future of religious freedom in the country.

“I am surprised. [It is] as if we are not living in Indonesia. The case better suits other countries that do not recognize religious freedom and diversity,” she said.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said earlier that he would personally make sure the ongoing dispute in Bogor was resolved peacefully.

Gamawan held a meeting last week with several Muslim leaders to discuss the long-standing conflict and said he would devise a number of options for the embattled congregation.

But Bona said the church did not need a political resolution that compromised the court’s ruling. “This is a legal matter and there has been a decision by the Supreme Court, which the mayor refuses to comply with,” he said.

In a statement released on Thursday, Amnesty International urged the government to “take adequate measures to guarantee the safety of [the GKI Yasmin congregation] so that they can practice their religion free from attacks and intimidation.”

The global rights activists also urged “prompt, independent and impartial investigations into all reports of intimidation, harassment and attacks.”