Local sources say Indonesian officials sealed the prayer hall of fame on Saturday (April 19) and banned congregations from celebrating Easter.
Quoting the lack of permission – although authorities did not respond to church applications submitted since 2023 – six Tangerang Regency staff have closed the doors of Thessalonika Ecumenical Christian Communion (Persekutuan Okmenu Mat Kristen, Pu). Tangerang Regency, Banten, West Java, reported by various sources.
According to BBC.com, a yellow banner on the main door of the Prayer Hall later stated that “the building is no longer in use.”
Members of the congregation said, as Nirmala told BBC.com, the seal transformed the joys of the Easter celebration into a sad event that continues to plague her and her fellow Christians.
“We were celebrating Easter together – we are all, kids. We’re kidding,” Nirmala said before she suddenly shed tears. “Now we can’t get it anymore. (Now) there is a constant fear, constant fear. Especially now, the ‘yellow’ (sign) has been given again to our prayer house. ”
Zamzam Manogara, head of the Teluk Naga Subdistrict, said the Tangerang Regency Office had sealed the site.
“We have no authority to carry out the seal,” Zamzam told BBC.com. “It wasn’t us that sealed it off, it was the Tangerang Regency Office.”
Zamzam said his district provided its office space as a place of worship, but he required permission and the authorities did not respond to the church leader’s application.
“We provided a place for the brothers to worship in the district hall, not just for Easter but for Sunday services,” he reportedly.
According to Kaltimpost.id, the Rev. Michael Siahan, pastor of Pouk Tesalonika Michael Siahan, said that the location of the prayer hall was sealed as he did not attend a meeting with officials of the Teluk Naga Subdistrict, which was scheduled during the Easter celebration.
“Amazingly, at 5:30pm, police came to my house and brought a response letter from the district chief,” Pastor Michael said according to Kaltimpost.id. “And exactly at 18:00, our building was sealed.”
The pastor confirmed to the Morningstar news that local officials provided area hall space for worship last year. It was subject to permission after Muslim groups requested the full closure of the church grounds on March 30, 2024.
The district offered worship services to district halls on April 28, 2024, subject to permit, but failed to respond to permit applications submitted on May 9, 2024, December 24-25, and April 15, 2024.
“Due to no response to the April 15 letter, we have started a Good Friday celebration at Pouk Prayer House as the Komisi nasinal hak asasi manusia confirmed freedom of worship,” Pastor Michael told Morningstar News.
The district hall is not ideal for worship, he added.
“The hall is dirty and tattered, directly across from the mosque,” he said. “It’s only 8 metres away, and the doors face the mosque. I can imagine the situation.”
The church submitted its application for a building permit on July 6, 2023, but the local officials never responded, Pastor Michael said.
He said there is no need for permission for the congregation to use the sealed prayer hall.
“The prayer house can be identified with the Islamic prayer room and therefore does not require a building permit,” Pastor Michael told Morningstar News.
Permadi Alia, Indonesian rights activist known as Abu Janda, wrote in 2023 that, according to the joint orders of the two ministers, according to chapters 1 and 3, only church buildings require a construction permit.
“A store home or cafe that holds worship services at home does not require permission,” he said.
Such houses, cafes and shophouses can be identified with traditional Muslim prayer rooms (musola), and Christians should be treated equally, as Muslims do not require permission from them.
Jakarta Regal Aid Institute (LBH), a dedicated non-governmental organization defending disadvantaged groups, said on its Instagram account (LBH_Jakarta) it regretted the seal.
“The right to worship safely and comfortably is an inherent right to all religious communities,” LBH posted. “Therefore, administrative approval procedures should not undermine the full protection of this human right.”
LBH Jakarta has committed to accompany the Thessalonica congregation at the service.
Since the passage of Indonesia’s Joint Ministerial Order in 2006, Islamic extremists have used the shortage of building permits as an excuse to close or attack church sites.
Even when small churches were able to meet the requirement to obtain 90 approval signatures from members of the congregation, they often met delays or lack of responses from officials when they managed to obtain 60 approvals from local households of different religions.
Indonesian society adopts a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelical outreach risk being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the open door.
