Four held in Indonesia for attacking Catholic students

May 07, 2024

JAKARTA: Police have arrested four Muslim men in Indonesia for attacking Catholic students who prayed the rosary in a residential area on the outskirts of the national capital Jakarta.

Police in South Tangerang presented the suspects before the media on May 7.

"In a series of case proceedings, we concluded that there was sufficient evidence so they were named suspects," said South Tangerang police chief Ibnu Bagus Santosa.

The suspects provoked and shouted at the students "in a loud voice with a tone of swearing and intimidation," while the others carrying knives joined the attack, the police said.

Santosa said police confiscated three knives used in the attack.

The suspects and others in a residential area in Banten province mobbed 12 Catholic students from Pamulang University while they were conducting the traditional rosary service from house to house on May 5.

Two female students were injured and one Muslim man was assaulted for defending the students, according to Siprianus Edi Hardum, a Catholic lawyer who is extending legal help to the students.

One of the injured female students said that they were stopped by the head of the neighborhood association who asked them not to worship in a residential area.

The man returned with a mob who attacked the students. The victims were saved as other Muslims extended help.

The arrests were made after Catholic groups urged the police to take action.

Suparman, who goes by a single name and is director general of the Catholic community with the Ministry of Religion, visited the police office on May 6 and also met with religious and community leaders.

Halili Hasan, the executive director of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, said the incident was a “violation of freedom of religion.”

This case shows intolerance and hatred continue to be a threat to the right to constitutional freedom of religion, he noted.

He quoted data from Setara Institute that showed 573 cases of disturbance reported from places of worship between 2007 and 2022 across Indonesia.

Prayer services of minority groups often get disrupted in Indonesia, which is predominantly Muslim.--ucanews.com