The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Wed, 03/21/2012
A clash between Christian residents and Public Order (Satpol PP) officers at Suka Maju village in Riau broke out after the officers tore down signage at the construction site of a Catholic church on Wednesday.
The officers and the protesting residents, who are members of a church congregation at village in the Rambah district, Rokan Hulu regency, shoved each other after officers installed barbed wire to seal-off the area and triggered the clash.
An officer and several residents were injured.
Rokan Hulu Regent Achmad said that the action was taken because the church’s construction was being carried out without a building permit (IMB).
“It is unclear whether the construction was legal or not. The church management has been warned several times, but has ignored the warnings,” Achmad said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Achmad said that the administration had planned to relocate the church but had yet to decide on the new location.
“We planned to build an agricultural laboratory on the construction site because, fortunately, there is a public agricultural school across the site,” he said, adding that he would take firm action if construction was continued.
Church leader B. Sihotang dismissed the regent’s statement and said the construction plan had a permit and was almost completed.
“The regent even gave us three clocks and promised to donate Rp 10 million (US$1,090) to the project,” Sihotang said.
A number of police officers have been deployed to secure the area
( also x the JP)
wo 21 maa 2012 - 19:47