11/12/2024 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) — After several residents of a village in Cirebon, West Java, rejected the establishment of a new church, an Indonesian organization is calling such rejections a violation of every citizen’s constitutional rights. 

Halili Hasan, executive director of the SETARA Institute for Democracy and Peace, an Indonesian organization that promotes democracy and human rights, recently noted that communities are increasingly rejecting new churches. 

“Every rejection is a violation of the constitutional rights of every citizen,” Hasan recently said. “Our constitution (…) guarantees individuals the right to embrace religion and worship.” 

According to regulations, at least 60 residents of the village where a new church is being established must approve a new church. These churches also must have at least 90 worshippers.  

The most common reasons why Indonesians are rejecting new churches and other minority religion houses of worship are “Intolerance” and “majoritarianism.” 

“Even though the administrative requirements are met, rejections are often still made for reasons that are not in accordance with Indonesia’s diversity, for example, the local majority is disturbed and so on,” Hasan said.  

The SETARA Institute’s records show religious freedom violations in Indonesia are increasing. In 2023, the institute recorded 217 incidents with 329 violations of religious freedom. In 2022, it recorded only 175 incidents with 333 violations.  

The institute’s records also show an increase in the targeting of places of worship in recent years. In 2023, places of worship were disturbed 65 times. In 2022, that number was 50. In 2017, only 16 places of worship were disturbed.  

Of the 65 places of worship that experienced disturbances in 2023, 40 disturbances affected churches, 17 affected mosques, five targeted temples, and three affected viharas. 

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