The Dissolution Of Church Worship Occurs Again, PGI Asks Jokowi To Strictly Reprimand His Regional Heads

Illustrations of Christian worship (Photo: pgi.or.id)

JAKARTA - The forced disbandment of worship against church congregations has occurred again in several areas. The dissolution by this community group occurred on May 19, 2023 in Satia Village, Binjai City District, Binjai City, North Sumatra. Then, the disbandment also occurred at the congregation of the Indonesian Bethel Church (GBI) Gihon on May 19, 2023 in East Sidomulyo Village, Marpoyan Damai District, Pekanbaru City, Riau; and the Indonesian Bethel Church (GBI) with Christian religious education activities on May 28, 2023 in Cilame Village, Ngamprah District, West Bandung Regency, West Java. PGI's Executive Secretary for Justice and Peace, Henrek Lokra, regretted that these incidents occurred after President Joko Widodo emphasized that the constitution guarantees freedom of worship and religion in January 2023 at the 2023 Regional Head Coordination Meeting in Sentul, Bogor. Therefore, PGI asked Jokowi to reprimand regional heads whose territory experienced the disbandment of the congregation. "Expressed strong protests and asked the President of the Republic of Indonesia, through the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia to give a strong warning to the Mayor of Binjai, Mayor of Pekanbaru, and Regent of West Bandung," said Henrek Lokra in his statement, Wednesday, May 31. He emphasized that local governments as protectors of the community should be able to carry out their functions in fostering harmony between religious communities, one of which is by facilitating the establishment of houses of worship. Then, Article 13 and Article 14 of the Joint Regulation of the Minister of Religion and the Minister of Home Affairs (PBM) Number 9 and 8 of 2006 also mandate regional heads to grant temporary permits as a form of state facilitation in finding solutions to build houses of worship. "We also ask the government to issue temporary permits as a form of state facilitation based on PBM Number 9 and 8 of 2006," he said. Furthermore, PGI also asked the government and security forces not to allow cases like this to repeat without firm and transparent legal action.

"The attitude of state omission will result in the fading of state authority, the development of distrust, and the accumulation of friction at the grassroots level which has the potential to become an open conflict, especially at the momentum of entering the political year with very vulnerable identity politicization," he explained.