singkil incident could have been avoided: pgi

The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) said here on Wednesday that the government could have avoided the incident in Aceh Singkil from happening. 

"We have been disappointed by the government for its inability to anticipate the incident while there have been talk before about churches set up without permits," the Chairperson of PGI, Reverend Henriette Lebang said at the office of the Indonesia Council of Ulemas (MUI) here on Wednesday.

She said the government and the local community had held talks about these churches a week before Tuesday's incident. Even a decision was reached at the meeting to start acting upon such churches from October 19.

"So, how could rioting happen on Tuesday, October 13?" she asked.

National police chief General Badrodin Haiti has said that the incident happened because of the issue of church permit. A number of community members have demanded that the government should demolish churches that have been set up without permits.

The local government and community members had agreed to demolish 21 churches on Monday, October 19, but unexpectedly, a group of people were believed to have disagreed with the decision, leading to the incident.

He said some police and military members were present at the site of violence when the incident occurred but they were outnumbered.

PGI has raised certain concerns about people who have left to neighboring province of North Sumatra following the incident.

"The government must immediately help act them," Lebang said.     

Source: ANTARA