More on the ongoing drama at the Catholic school in Tangerang, from the Jakarta Post, with thanks to Twostellas:
The parents of children attending the Sang Timur Catholic School in Ciledug, Tangerang, are considering filing a complaint with the police following the almost complete sealing off the school for more than two weeks by a zealot group.
“We are still trying to resolve the matter amicably. Should this fail, we may report the case to the police as a last resort,” parents’ forum chairman Hillon Goa said on Wednesday.
He said that should no amicable solution be possible, the parents would lodge a complaint with the Tangerang Police on Thursday, although he was not yet sure precisely what the contents of the complaint would be.
“Our legal advisors are still working out the specific details,” he said. “Obviously, we will be requesting that the government ensure that the basic, constitutional right of our children to an education is fulfilled.”
Hillon explained that although the children had returned to school, they would still be afraid and insecure — which would affect their studies — as long as the problem persisted.
A group calling itself the Karang Tengah Islamic Communication Forum held a rally at the school on Oct. 3, protesting that Catholic religious services were being held there.
The rally ended with the group sealing the school’s front entrance gate with a two-meter-high concrete wall, which forced the school to postpone the return to school of its 2,417 students — including 137 autistic and mentally retarded children — for a week.