Synod of Protestant Churches denounces act of intolerance

A local village chief, known by the name of Wawan, jumped over the fence and entered the Kemah Daud Christian Church while the congregation was praying. The local church authorities asked that the matter be taken seriously. The Indonesian president had highlighted the “violent” gestures last month at a conference with district leaders.

Lampung () – The Synod of Protestant Churches of Indonesia (PGI) has spoken out against the interruption of a mass in the province of Lampung (in the south of the island of Sumatra) that took place on February 19. A local village chief, known by the name of Wawan, jumped over the fence and entered the Kemah Daud Christian Church in Rajabasa Jaya village while the congregation was praying.

“PGI called on the Indonesian authorities to take this incident seriously and hold accountable all those responsible for acts of intolerance against our faithful,” read a statement issued today by the Synod’s General Secretary, Jacklevyn F. .Manuputty. “We urgently call on the Indonesian administration and law enforcement not to ignore these acts of intolerance, but to bring them to justice,” the statement continued. “If this episode is ignored, any potential conflict between different religious groups could suddenly escalate,” Manuputty says.

Last month, during a national conference held in Sentul of Bogor, West Java, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo criticized district leaders who did not show seriousness in ending these “violent” gestures.

However, the Lampung office of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs said the incident was properly dealt with and that “there was a good dialogue between all parties.”

The Lampung Interfaith Forum (FKUB), on the other hand, claims that the church has not obtained the legal documents for the construction of a place of worship. “Its status is not that of a place of worship, but rather that of a residential house,” said Purna Irawan of the FKUB, adding that all legal requirements must be obtained in advance, lest any further episodes of intolerance occur.

The church’s coordinator, Parlin Sihombing, said the building was founded in 2009: “We got the consent signatures in 2014. All the legal requirements were met and obtained, but the local government has not yet issued the official permit,” he explained. Sihombing yesterday.