Mob disrupts church service in Bantul over building permit dispute

A mob forcibly disbanded a worship service held by the Christian Church of Mission Welfare (GMS) in Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. Video footage circulating on social media shows a group confronting the congregation at their place of worship on Jalan Ring Road Selatan, Sewon, leading to the disruption of the service and accusations of persecution.

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Actually, the refusal originated from the relocation of the church congregation's worship activities, which were previously held at Hotel Ros In.

Local authorities confirmed the incident, with Yulius Suharta, acting head of the Bantul National Unity and Political Agency, stating that the mob's objection stemmed from the building's alleged lack of official permit for religious activities. The congregation had recently relocated their services from the Hotel Ros In to a warehouse-like building.

Suharta explained that the move from the hotel, reportedly due to high rental costs, prompted the protest. The GMS congregation had obtained a "Surat Keterangan Tanda Lapor" (SKTL), or a Letter of Report Notification, from the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. However, there is a dispute over whether this document is sufficient for conducting worship services or if further administrative procedures are required.

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We had already tried to anticipate acts of refusal, but in fact, yesterday there was still a movement of the mob at the GMS activity site.

The local government is currently examining the regulations surrounding SKTLs and their compliance with higher-level laws, including a joint decree from three ministers. The investigation aims to clarify the legal standing of the GMS congregation's use of the rented warehouse space for worship and to address the conflict arising from differing interpretations of the permit's validity.

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The understanding of the information in the issued SKTL, whether it can indeed be used as a permit for holding worship or whether other administrative processes are still required, this is what we are still examining.