The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Mon, 11/14/2011 10:40 AM
Noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis has urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to show his leadership by resolving an ongoing church permit dispute involving the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) of Taman Yasmin and Bogor municipal administration.
“SBY has boasted to the whole world that this country faces no problems in fulfilling its people’s basic human rights. Now is the right time to walk the talk, to prove that there isn’t any discrimination in this country,” Todung said Sunday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
GKI Taman Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging said he failed to comprehend why up to now Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto had been allowed to ignore a Supreme Court order that clearly instructs his administration to open all access for the congregation to attend services at the church.
“The mayor’s [ability to] disobey the Supreme Court order sets a bad precedent for law enforcement in this country,” he said.
Apparently under pressure from several hard-line Muslim organizations, Diani has denied the church permission to operate.