Indonesia To Adopt New Decree On Houses of Worship

In Indonesia, the government is ready to promulgate a new ministerial decree on houses of worship, according to today's Jakarta Post. This will replace a 1969 decree that required allowed the local populace to veto a new congregation. That meant that Christians in predominantly Muslim areas often had difficulty getting approval to build churches. Under the new decree, local governments can no longer escape their obligation to provide houses of worship for religious minorities. New places of worship must have congregations of at least 90, and at least 60 people of other faiths living in the area must consent. The congregation must also obtain a building permit from the local administration and the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB). However, unlike in the previous decree, if locals object but consent is granted by the administration and the FKUB, local bodies are required to find an alternate space for the church. Christians remain dissatisfied with the new decree, seeking lower threshold numbers for congregants and local resident approval. 42 mostly Christian legislators in the House of Representatives have filed a petition to reject the new decree.