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Religious leaders deny threatening government

Lies campaign is to ’help Indonesia,’ they say
Religious leaders deny threatening government
Capuchin Bishop Martinus Dogma Situmorang of Padang (fourth left) and other religious leaders express their solidarity
Published: January 21, 2011 08:24 AM GMT
Updated: November 29, -0001 04:34 PM GMT

Indonesian religious leaders are denying they are a threat to the government following a meeting with the president over state untruths and their establishment of a “lies complaint center.” “We are not a pressure group. There is no threat. Our movement [against lies] is merely to improve the nation,” Capuchin Bishop Martinus Dogma Situmorang of Padang said yesterday at the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) office in Jakarta. “We do not have any political motives. We do not blame the government. We are not acting like a superpower over the government,” the chairman of the KWI said. Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim and Protestant leaders all hope the government will make some substantive efforts for the sake of people’s welfare, the prelate added. He said the complaints center will be used as a tool to make a larger and more fundamental movement. “We will continue to watch over the government,” he maintained. Din Syamsuddin from Muhammadiyah, the country’s second largest Islamic organization, agreed upon maintaining the momentum of their campaign. We will keep the movement moving because “we see it as the truth,” he said. Commenting on a statement by religious leaders on government lies issued on Jan. 10, he maintained that the statement was a critique. “There is no distortion in voicing people’s concerns,” he added. Related reports Indonesian religious leaders to watch out for liesPresident and religious leaders talk to settle tiffIndonesian government should stop lying IJ12956.1637

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