The demonstrators from the Islamic Brotherhood Forum (Forum Ukuwah Islamiah - FUKHIS), the Bekasi Moslem Community Forum (Forum Umat Islam Bekasi - FUI) and the Islam Defenders` Front (FPI) had been gathering in the Lippo Cikarang area since 9am.
They then moved on motorcycles and cars to the exit gate of the Cikarang Barat toll road and stopped there to make orations for about 30 minutes to protest the construction of a Catholic church in Lippo Cikarang, Bekasi district, east of Jakarta.
Due to their action, traffic outflows from the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road through the Cikarang Barat gate were jammed. Traffic flows from the Lippo Cikarang aread and the Jababeka industrial zone also experienced traffic snarls for around one hour from 10am to 11am.
The convoy then moved to the office of the Bekasi district administration in Delta Mas in Central Cikarang where they voiced their aspirations and demand.
FUKHIS Bekasi secretary general KH Khosim Nurseha said in his oration they had taken the action to protest the construction of a Theresia Catholic church in Lippo Cikarang.
He said the project had been carried out against the requirements for the construction of a house of worship and without an approval from the Bekasi district inter-religious relations forum (FKUB) nor a building permit.
"We urge the Bekasi district administration to stop the construction," he said.
He also called on the Bekasi district administration to act on "illegal church buildings" in the region and the implementation of Regulation Number 7 of 2009 to ban vice.
"This problem has arisen because the district administration was not strict enough in regulating and supervising construction of houses of prayer and therefore we people are now acting," he said.
The secretary of the Bekasi district administration, Dadang Mulyadi, meanwhile said before the demonstrators that he would immediately order the residential and spatial service to inspect and check the permit for the project.
"If it has no permit and violates spatial regulation the Bekasi district administration will stop it," he said.
After receiving the explanation the demonstrators then dispersed. The demonstration was guarded by hundreds of police from the district administration and police resort.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
