Author: Andy Yuwono

Editor: Lintang

09/23/2026

National, Kabarterdepan.com – The narrative of Indonesia as a haven of tolerance has been severely challenged once again. A series of attacks, closures, and forced disbandments of religious services continue to threaten religious freedom.

Based on data analysis of the SETARA Institute’s Freedom of Religion/Belief (KBB) Report , the figures for intolerance are very worrying: in 2025 alone, 221 violations were recorded with 239 affected victims, 128 of which actually involved state actors.

To uncover patterns of intolerance and weak law enforcement at the grassroots level, the editorial team of Kabar Terdepan presents detailed chronicles of religious violations from year to year.

This case is not just a statistic, but rather a grim portrait of discrimination that targets all religions, from Christianity, Catholicism, Ahmadiyah Islam, Hinduism, to believers in religious beliefs.

Here is a complete timeline and the horrific facts behind the persecution of religious practices in Indonesia, pushed back from 2026 to 2019:

2026: Emergency of Intolerance and Administrative Shield

1. Sharp Weapon Terror at GKPI Rajeg Worship Service

• Time: Sunday, September 20, 2026.
• Location: Rented house, Mekarsari Village, Rajeg District, Tangerang Regency, Banten.
• Victim Group: Protestant Christians (GKPI Congregation).
• Cause & Chronology: A group of residents stormed and forcibly broke up a congregation’s Sunday service in a rented house. Horrifyingly, the intimidation escalated when a resident was filmed carrying a sharp weapon. The excuse was classic: they were refusing to hold worship services in an unlicensed residential area.
• Mitigation Measures: The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Special Staff to the Minister of Religious Affairs), along with the Tangerang City Police and Regency Government, conducted a swift intervention. Immediate mediation was conducted, padlocks were returned to the house of worship, and the government facilitated the issuance of temporary permits so that the congregation could return to worship without fear.

2. The Irony of Good Friday: POUK Thessaloniki Sealed by the State

• Time: Friday, April 3, 2026.
• Location: Tangerang Regency, Banten.
• Victim Group: Christians (POUK Thessalonika Congregation).
• Cause & Chronology: Immediately after the congregation performed their Good Friday prayers, the Tangerang Regency Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) stepped in and sealed the House of Prayer. This case is a clear example of a “state actor” violating the right to worship due to yielding to intolerant pressure, hiding behind administrative permit issues (PBM 2 Menteri).

2025: Mob Brutality Claims Child Victims

3. Mob Riot at Sukabumi Student Retreat

• Time: Friday, June 27, 2025.
• Location: Tangkil Village, Cidahu District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java.
• Victim Group: 36 Christian children and teenagers and church companions.
• Cause & Chronology: Fatal miscommunication. A group of residents were misled by rumors that a private villa/restaurant would be converted into a church without permission. The mob went on a rampage, smashing windows, doors, and gates, damaging religious facilities (crosses), and even vandalizing vehicles belonging to retreat participants.
• Mitigation & Legal Measures: The West Java Regional Police and Sukabumi Police acted decisively by arresting seven residents and naming them as suspects (charged under Articles 170 and 406 of the Criminal Code). The West Java Provincial Government and Sukabumi Regency Government facilitated the repair of facilities damaged by the mob.

4. Bloody Children at GKSI Padang Sarai

• Time: Sunday, July 27, 2025.
• Location: Padang Sarai, Koto Tangah District, Padang City, West Sumatra.
• Victim Group: Christians (GKSI Anugerah Congregation). Two children, aged 8 and 11, were injured.
• Cause & Chronology: Similar to the Sukabumi incident, residents accused a private prayer room of being used as a church. The mob damaged doors, windows, and worship facilities, and cut off electricity. Shrapnel injured two minors who were present at the scene.
• Mitigation & Legal Action: Padang Police have arrested nine suspected vandals and set up a police cordon to prevent further damage. The perpetrators face multiple charges related to mass assault.

2019-2024: The Forgotten Interfaith Blacklist

5. Attack on Catholic Students During Rosary Prayer (2024)

• Time: Sunday, May 5, 2024.
• Location: Babakan Village, Setu District, South Tangerang.
• Victim Group: Catholic Students (Pamulang University).
• Cause & Chronology: The local neighborhood association (RT) head and residents visited a student’s rented house while they were reciting the Rosary. The service was prohibited on the grounds that a neighborhood permit was required. Physical violence and a mob attack ensued.
• Legal Action: The South Tangerang Police have named four suspects (including the neighborhood association head). The city government is facilitating protection and mediation.

6. RT Head Jumps Fence to Stop GKKD Worship (2023)

• Time: Sunday, February 19, 2023.
• Location: Rajabasa Jaya Subdistrict, Bandar Lampung.
• Victim Group: Christians (GKKD Congregation).
• Cause & Chronology: The local RT head jumped over the fence and barged in while the service was in progress, then forced the pastor to stop the service on the pretext that the church did not yet have a Building Permit (PBG).
• Legal Action: The Lampung Regional Police have charged the neighborhood association head (initial W) with Articles 167 and 335 of the Criminal Code. The mayor has intervened and granted temporary permission.

7. The Mayor Signs a Declaration Rejecting the Cilegon Church (2022)

• Time: September 2022.
• Location: Cikuasa, Gerem, Cilegon City.
• Victim Group: Christians (HKBP Maranatha Congregation).
• Cause & Chronology: Massive rejection of church construction, legitimized by the Serang Regent’s Decree of 1975 (Cilegon must be free of churches). Worse still, the Mayor of Cilegon at the time also signed the petition rejecting it.
• Mitigation Steps: The Indonesian Ministry of Religion went directly to Cilegon to emphasize that regional regulations must not violate the 1945 Constitution.

8. Ahmadiyah Mosque Burned Down by Mob in Sintang (2021)

• Time: Friday, September 3, 2021.
• Location: Balai Harapan Village, Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan.
• Victim Group: Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI).
• Cause & Chronology: The Regent’s circular closing the Ahmadiyah mosque sparked vigilante action. The Islamic Community Alliance (AMU) vandalized and burned the mosque.
• Legal Action: 21 perpetrators were arrested by the West Kalimantan Regional Police and Brimob was deployed to secure the refugees.

9. Sunda Wiwitan Ancestral Tomb Sealed by Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) (2020)

• Time: July 2020.
• Location: Cigugur District, Kuningan Regency, West Java.
• Victim Group: Believers in Beliefs (Akur Sunda Wiwitan).
• Cause & Chronology: Kuningan Regency Government sealed the proposed grave of a traditional figure (Batu Satangtung) due to pressure from an intolerant group on the pretext of not having a building permit.
• Mitigation Steps: Komnas HAM lodged a strong protest because traditional graves/ornaments are not buildings that require a building permit.

10. Hindu Odalan Worship Disbanded (2019)

• Time: November 12, 2019.
• Location: Sendangsari Village, Bantul Regency, DIY.
• Victim Group: Hindus.
• Cause & Chronology: The Odalan ceremony at a private home was raided by residents because it was considered disturbing and did not have the RT’s permission.
• Mitigation Steps: The police mediated, but instead took a shortcut by stopping the event early to avoid clashes, which actually sacrificed the victims’ right to worship.

The Final Solution: Ensnare the Perpetrators with the New 2026 Criminal Code!

The state must no longer play with fire with false tolerance. The implementation of Law No. 1 of 2023 (the National Criminal Code), which will come into full effect in 2026, must be a lethal blow to perpetrators of intolerance.

Article 304 of the New Criminal Code clearly threatens those who break up religious services with up to 1.5 years in prison. For those involved in mass mob attacks and the destruction of places of worship, such as in Padang and Sukabumi, Articles 262 and 521 carry a maximum sentence of up to 7 years in prison.

Police officers and regional heads must stop hiding behind the pretext of “maintaining order” and victimizing minorities. Freedom of worship is a constitutional mandate!

source https://kabarterdepan.com/rekam-jejak-pelarangan-ibadah-di-indonesia/