In response to the Temanggung incident, the institute`s chairman, Hendardi, said those involved in the acts of sectarian violence need to be brought to court.
"Those involved in crimes and acts of violence must be tried," he said adding that the state could not be silent to the fact of religious intolerance and acts of violence in the country.
The root causes of these growing acts of sectarian violence were related to the state`s refusal to accept inputs from various elements in the society who disagreed with hardliners` defiance of the law, he said.
In the Temanggung incident that happened on Tuesday, at least two churches and a Catholic school complex as well as a number of vehicles were destroyed.
The incident itself was believed by the Central Java provincial police to have been provoked by misleading information disseminated to the public through short message service (SMS) saying that the defendant of religious blasphemy case, Antonius Richmond Bawengan, 50, would have a light punishment by the Tamanggung district court.
Central Java police chief Inspector General Edward Aritonang said on Tuesday evening that the court`s panel of judges sentenced him to five years in jail.
The two churches, a Catholic school complex as well as a number of vehicles had become the target of mass attacks following a clash during the court session on the religious blasphemy.
"This incident has prolonged the list of intolerance practices in Indonesia," he said adding that his institute recorded 75 cases in 2010.
Regarding this Temanggung incident, Archbishop of Semarang Monsignor Johannes Pujasumarta called on Catholics in the district to remain calm on Tuesday.
"I urge Catholics to remain smart and not to be emotional and take violent acts to respond to violence," he told ANTARA.
Monsignor Johannes Pujasumarta said he did deplore the incident saying that the acts of violence in handling problems were not relevant to the life of a civilized society.
In another development, Indonesia`s national police had arrested a suspect.
"A suspect has been arrested. He is not the resident of Temanggung district but he does come from Central Java," National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo said.
However, Pradopo did not reveal the suspect`s name and identity. Despite that, the police chief vowed to bring those involving in the incident to court.
"The suspect that has been caught will help reveal the case. Whoever violating the law will be punished," he said.
Pradopo said he would comprehensively reveal the case and find out the root causes of the problem along with local governments and other related stakeholders.
Various elements in the society deplored the Temanggung incident.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself denounced the anarchic acts committed by a group of people who destroyed the houses of prayers and their facilities during the incident.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said that the president had also instructed the Central Java Police chief to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
"The president also instructed that those involved in the anarchic acts be processed based on the law soon," he said.
The president also instructed security officers and regional government officials to increase their detection efforts, take preventive measures and firm actions against the perpetrators of the anarchic acts.
Djoko said that the government would not tolerate any form of violence carried out by the people against their fellow citizens, no matter what their reasons were.
"The incident should thoroughly be investigated and those behind it should be acted upon firmly," the chief security minister said. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
