TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chairperson of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Muhammad Isnur, expressed concern over the community's inability to maintain order when disbanding the Christian student retreat in Cidahu, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Isnur stated that the incident is a challenge for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and other stakeholders.
"This is a challenge in how to create a sense of security, fairness, and non-discrimination for all religious believers," Isnur said in a voice message on Monday, June 30, 2025. Isnur stated that the law has regulated how society should respect and appreciate the rights of others in worship.
According to Isnur, the authorities should be able to prevent incidents like this promptly. Isnur also mentioned that perpetrators of violence need to be acted upon by the police and brought to justice. "So that it sets an example and deters such incidents from happening again," he said.
In a separate statement, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, stated that the disbandment of the Christian student retreat shows the state's failure in fulfilling the constitutional mandate to protect citizens without discrimination.
This lecturer from Jentera Law School in Indonesia assessed that religious freedom is enshrined in Article 28E paragraphs (1) and Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution.
According to Usman, law enforcement and government policies should protect the vulnerable minorities. Usman noted that the weak foundation of state policies and law enforcement reinforces a culture of impunity for cases of intolerance in Indonesia.
"There is too much rhetoric, no change in discriminatory policies, and no perpetrators or masterminds being legally processed for intimidation and destruction of the building," he said on Monday, June 30, 2025.
Previously, a video of the alleged vandalism at a residential home believed to have been used as a 'place of worship' in Cidahu, Sukabumi, West Java, went viral on social media. The Instagram account @sukabumisatu mentioned that hundreds of residents in the village of Cidahu sub-district staged a demonstration at Kampung Tangkil RT 04/01, Desa Tangkil, on Friday, June 27, 2025.
In the video shared by the account, a group of people lowered an object resembling a wooden cross. The shouting residents then proceeded to destroy several facilities in the house, such as glass. They also destroyed tables and chairs in the house's yard.
Tempo has not been able to contact the local police for an explanation of the incident's chronology. According to the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (GAMKI), the incident in Cidahu involved the disbandment of a Christian student retreat. The incident occurred on Friday, around 14:00 local time. GAMKI Bogor immediately launched an investigation into this incident.
GAMKI stated that the worship activity was forcefully disbanded by a group of residents under the pretext of lacking permits. Furthermore, there were allegations of vandalism and intimidation against the participants, most of whom were students.
Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar has not yet responded to Tempo's request for a statement on Monday, June 30, 2025. In a separate contact, Minister of Human Rights (HAM) Natalius Pigai instructed his staff to review the disbandment of the Christian student retreat in Cidahu, West Java. Pigai also stated the need to ensure the accuracy of the incident report beforehand.
"We won't do anything without a report," Pigai said in a text message to Tempo on Monday, June 30, 2025. "I have instructed the staff to check there. So we will provide an update."
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