JAKARTA (Antara): Hundreds of residents of Griya Bukit Jaya housing complex in Bogor, West Java blocked access to a church when some 190 Christians began their regular Sunday service.
It was the first such incident after the revision last week of a joint ministerial decree on new houses of worship.
Religious Affairs Minister M. Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister M. Ma'ruf signed the revised joint ministerial decree Tuesday, which replaced a controversial decree issued in 1969.
The former decree was considered highly discriminative because it required the consent of local administrations and most residents in the areas to build houses of worship.
Non-Muslim congregations complained that the decree has been used to discriminate against them. In the past two years, 23 houses of worship in West Java alone have been forcibly shut down on the grounds that the buildings lacked permits.
Antara news agency reported Sunday that the residents in the housing complex blocked access to the Pantekosta Church in Indonesia (GPDI) built in 1987, when the Sunday service was still taking place.
No further incident occurred as dozens of police guarded the church.
According to the minister, Fekky Tatulus, he built the church when the housing complex was only occupied by few residents, but the crowd argued that the construction of the church had violated West Java gubernatorial regulation issued in 1990, which was an elaboration of a joint ministerial decree issued 1969.
Minority religions are still unhappy with the new decree, saying that the decree's requirements will make it even more difficult for minorities to worship, and contend the state has no right to regulate the basic right to practice one's faith.
The decree, among other things, rules that new places of worship must have congregations of a minimum of 90 people, and receive consent of 60 people of other faiths living in the area. There also is a requirement to obtain permits from the local administration and the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony. (**)
