Certain residents in Talang Kelapa subdistrict, Alang-alang Lebar district in Palembang, South Sumatra, were up in arms Thursday over the construction of a Huria Batak Protestant Church (HKBP).
The protesters said the project lacked the relevant permits from the Palembang municipality and Religious Affairs Ministry.
Rally coordinator Muhammad Syueb, 41, said residents were not against the church per se as long as the project went through the right process.
"We were invited by the municipality to attend a discussion with the HKBP management on Feb. 25, but on Feb. 17 they had already laid the building's cornerstone," said Syueb during the protest.
According to Syueb, residents were made aware of the application to build the church in August 2010. The construction committee had met residents in the neighborhood and asked for their signature of approval.
"However, what we don't like is that they offered things in return for permission," said Syueb.
According to local resident Rustam, 49, he had first heard that the location would make way for a baseball field, but that changed to a housing complex for members of the Methodist community.
Member of the congregation Yohannes P. Simanjuntak denied the allegations.
"Also, the corner stone laying was not for the church. It was for our reverend's house," Yohannes said.
He said the congregation, which currently met at a shop, needed a new church to accommodate its 2,000 members.
Alang-alang district chief Lebar Sulaiman Amin said he had received the application for the building permit.
"We are waiting for approval from residents and recommendation from the Religious Affairs Ministry," said Amin.
According to him, the district is home to around 4,200 Christian residents, which is 5 percent of the 84,000 people in the district.
Lebar Muhammad Sueb, from the ministry's Alang-alang district office, said he would approve the church project provided it was adhered to procedures and was approved by local residents.
"There is no problem from the government. If they wish to build a church, please do, but get permission from the local residents first," said Sueb.
Objections to the construction of churches has increased in recent years.
Intolerant groups have out a stop to the development of HKBP Filadelfia and GKI Yasmin in Bekasi and Bogor respectively, both in West Java for similar reasons.(tjs/dic)
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