Police Express Concern Over Filadelfia Incident

Bekasi, W Java, Dec 26 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian police are worried about a conflict that had occurred between the villagers of Jejalen Jaya (in the district of Bekasi, West Java) and several members of a church on December 24. "The incident could have been prevented if the members of the Filadelfia Batak Christian (HKBP) church had not insisted on conducting a mass service at a church that had been sealed by the government," said the chief of the Bekasi police resort, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Isnaini Ujianto, on Tuesday. He said the government of the Bekasi district had banned the construction of the HKBP church in North Tambun because its building permit had been revoked. "The district government had allowed the members to conduct a mass service at the PGRI building in South Tambun or at a school in the Griya Prima housing complex, but the members were keen on conducting a mass service at the church of their choice," he said. As a result, people who were against the construction of the church fought with the members, injuring one of the members. "The police brought the members to the Tambun police station," he said. Isnaini said most of the members were not residents of the district; they had come from Jakarta and Bekasi. "Local residents and the members of the church had signed an agreement on March 30, 2012, stating that the members will not use the sealed venue," he said.