BandungBegerak.id - For ten years, the problem of using the Sentiong cemetery in Danosari Village, Pulosari, Pangalengan District, Bandung Regency, has remained unresolved. During this period, there have been four "rejections" and one "obstruction" of Christian burial processes.

The latest incident occurred on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The burial process was only carried out after an agreement was reached between Christians and residents not to dig new graves, but to use stacked burials. The entire burial process was only completed after nine in the evening.

In response to this incident, a meeting was held at the district office. However, the cemetery land issue wasn't discussed. Instead, Christians have felt the impact of a ban on burials in Sentiong since that obstruction.

Yahya Mulya, pastor of the Bethel Tabernacle Church (GBT) Pangalengan, recounted that during the 10-year period of uncertainty regarding Sentiong cemetery use, the church took initiative to find solutions. From praying to seeking new land. However, he realized that the process of acquiring and obtaining permits for cemetery land isn't easy.

"It turns out this is a bit sensitive. For gardens, sure, there are sellers. But for cemeteries, the local residents are somewhat reluctant. It's not that easy for cemeteries, especially getting permission from the nearest neighbors, the community," Yahya said, when met in Pangalengan on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

Rejected in Sentiong, Christians in Pangalengan are forced to bury their family members or relatives in distant locations: the Eigendom Banjaran Public Cemetery (TPU) in Arjasari District or one of the TPUs in Soreang. The distance from Pangalengan to Eigendom Cemetery is about 25 kilometers, crossing two districts.

"Just for the land, we negotiated for 3.5 million (rupiah). Not including ambulances, this and that, not including the coffin. It's almost 5-6 million (rupiah). Not to mention the distance. Then another factor is that not everyone can afford it. If it's available in Pangalengan, why not?" said Yahya.

According to Yahya, Sentiong has been a cemetery complex for Pangalengan's Chinese community since the Dutch colonial era. This land should be usable as a burial ground for Pangalengan's Christian community, which consists of four churches, because he holds the management rights.

In an interview in 2022, shortly after the obstruction incident, Yahya asserted that the Sentiong cemetery land is legal. The land, originally managed by Narsono, had its management rights transferred to him in 2002 through a written agreement document. In 2004, a land re-measurement was conducted with the then-head of Pulosari Village, Jajang Daman.

The results of the re-measurement showed the total land area of Sentiong to be 10,270.3 square meters. The document was signed by the village head, with witnesses including M. Nana Rukmana, Aju, Yanoe H Poly, and Yahya himself. However, since this re-measurement was conducted, problems have arisen.

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Land Exhausted

Pangalengan is the second largest district in Bandung Regency, covering 272.95 square kilometers or 11.09 percent of Bandung Regency's total area. This tourism-focused district is the southernmost area, directly bordering Garut Regency.

Currently, Christians in Pangalengan can worship relatively freely in three churches in the district: Pasundan Christian Church (GKP), Pentecostal Church in Indonesia (GPDI), and Bethel Tabernacle Church (GBT). However, for burial matters, despite the increasingly urgent need, the path remains blocked.

Yohanes Irmawandi, a GKP Pangalengan congregation member, mentions that the issue of burial grounds has been discussed in the Pangalengan Christian Community forum. He acknowledges knowing about the problems at Sentiong. However, he's not certain about the main reason why the land can't be used by Christians: whether it's religious sentiment or purely land legality issues.

What Anes knows for sure is that burial places for Christians in Pangalengan are now exhausted. The Citere land used by GKP Pangalengan congregation, for instance, is already full. Moreover, this land isn't actually public property, but belongs to a military institution. Reportedly, new regulations have recently been issued stipulating that only soldiers' families can be buried there.

"Sentiong is actually one of the assets that could be utilized. But, well, you know how it is," said Anes, as he's often called, when contacted from Bandung on Tuesday, July 17, 2024.

In line with Yahya, Anes mentions that the most visible and felt impact of the lack of burial grounds is financial. For one deceased person, families have to dig deep into their pockets. There are costs for handling the body, grave digging services, coffins, ambulances, and additional traditional practices.

Anes urges the Christian community in Pangalengan to unite in fighting for their rights. He also asks the public to be open-minded. Dialogue must be conducted to agree on a solution, and it's the government that should be proactive in seeking it. Facilitating, not complicating.

"Are we supposed to keep a corpse at the village office when we want to bury it?" he joked. "That's not right, is it?"

Scattered Graves in Coffee Plantations

The Sentiong cemetery is located in the middle of community plantations. To get there, one must first pass through a residential area that can only be accessed by two-wheeled vehicles. After a concrete road about 100 meters long between houses, a footpath with soil and rocky terrain awaits.

There, plantations with various types of crops spread out. In the right row, tomato fruits are already ripening. Soon they'll be ready for harvest. On the left, there are coffee trees with yellowish beans. In some other plots, chili is planted.

It's within this coffee plantation area, in one part that isn't planted with coffee trees at all, that the Sentiong cemetery is located. As if intentionally displayed. There are tombstones of various sizes. There's also a slightly tilted cross sign. One of the graves still has fresh flowers scattered on its tombstone, indicating that the heirs have recently visited. On one tombstone, the year of death 1960 is written.

A farmer who was clearing rocks from the road mentioned that tombstones are scattered between the stems of robusta and arabica coffee trees in the plantation. Some tombstones are clearly visible, while others have been buried.

"If you want to go deeper inside, if you want to look for them, there are many of those," he said, pointing into the coffee plantation.

At the border between the coffee and potato plantations, there's an unkempt grave overgrown with grass. It's the only grave in the corner of the plantation, while in the central area there are several graves with large walls. They're far apart and scattered. From a distance, the large grave walls look like resting huts.

Eka, 35, a resident of Danosari village, explains that the graves on this land are no longer visited by their families. Even if there are visitors, the farmers or residents don't encounter them. Suddenly, flower wreaths are left on the graves. He suspects the visitors deliberately come when the farmers aren't in the plantation.

To Eka's knowledge, for the past 7-8 years there has been a ban by the village authorities on burials in Sentiong. However, once, long ago, a new grave was suddenly found in the middle of the plantation. It's called "sudden" because the burial procession was suspected to have been carried out at night. Eka admits that they have never met or seen the heirs, so they have never spoken directly about this matter.

"If we had our way, if those buried here have families, we'd ask them to move to the special non-Muslim public cemetery. So it's not messy like this. It's already provided. So it's better for them if it's neat. Like this, it's not well-maintained. And for the residents too, it's more comfortable, orderly. Farming is also easier," said Eka on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

Eka admits he doesn't know for certain which came first, the graves or the plantation. What he knows is that since he was born, there have been one or two graves on this land, and the village authorities claim the land belongs to the village. Eka and other farmers pay a kind of retribution or tax to the village.

BandungBergerak tried to confirm this Sentiong cemetery issue with Pulosari Village officials. One of the service staff, Sony, mentioned that the village head and his staff were attending an activity in the Mohammad Toha area. Unfortunately, he refused to provide contact information for Agus Rusman, the Head of Pulosari Village.

Claiming Ignorance

Saiful Rochman, Head of the Bandung Regency Parks Maintenance and Cemetery Management UPTD, claims to know nothing about the Sentiong cemetery conflict that has been ongoing for the past 10 years. His reason is that the complex is not managed by the government.

"Because the land is usually managed by a foundation or individuals. So there's no information sent here, as it's not managed by the local government. Except for those managed by the local government, which would definitely come to us," said Saiful, when met at his office on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

According to Saiful, the regency government can't do anything about cemetery conflicts that aren't managed by the government. In principle, the government can indeed facilitate, but it's usually first returned to local government officials, such as the Village Head, RT/RW Heads, Babinsa, and Babinmas.

"It's not that we don't facilitate, but it's enough to be handled by the local government," he said. "We don't have anything to do with it here."

Saiful explained that currently the Bandung Regency government manages 12 Public Cemeteries (TPU), including the Eigendom Cemetery in Banjaran which is specifically for non-Muslims. The previously 'unowned' cemetery began to be managed by the government in 1992. Most of the other complexes are the result of handovers from housing developments. It's rare for the government to specifically budget to buy land, although it does happen.

There's a special budget allocated every year in the APBD to manage and maintain the 12 TPUs. Saiful claims that 10 TPUs have been equipped with office facilities, electricity, water, bathrooms, parking areas, and cleaning staff.

Saiful emphasized that in government-managed Public Cemeteries (TPU), there's no separation of Muslim and non-Muslim graves. At Eigendom Banjaran Cemetery, for example, there's already a section that's also used for Muslims.

"What we call TPU doesn't recognize religion," said Saiful. "That's why, like (TPU) Pananjung (Cangkuang District), I've made a pilot project where Muslims and non-Muslims are mixed."

Listening to Complaints

Cemetery matters are actually regulated through national and regional regulations. Government Regulation (PP) Number 9 of 1987 concerning the Provision of Land Use for Cemetery Purposes defines a Public Cemetery (TPU) as an area of land provided for the purpose of burying corpses for everyone without distinguishing religion and group, managed by the Level II Regional Government or Village Government. Meanwhile, TPBU is an area of land provided for the purpose of burying corpses, managed by social bodies and/or religious bodies.

This regulation is then derived at the regional level. For example, Bandung Regency Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 8 of 2019 concerning Cemeteries with its derivative Bandung Regent Regulation Number 82 of 2020 concerning Implementation Guidelines for Regional Regulations on Cemeteries.

The Regional Regulation states that cemeteries are a form of fulfilling the community's need for burial land that needs to be carried out productively and efficiently. Just like PP 9/1987, this Regional Regulation also regulates that, for order and regularity, TPU and TPBU should have groupings of places for each religious adherent. This provision is stated in Article 3 paragraph 3 and Article 5 paragraph 2.

Article 2 of the Regent Regulation's technical guidelines states that the local government is obligated to provide Cemetery Land for burial purposes, managed by the regional apparatus in charge of cemetery affairs. Article 4 stipulates that the Public Cemetery (TPU) is established with six blocks, one for each religion. The percentage is regulated according to the population based on their religion and beliefs.

Eigendom Banjaran is known as a special Public Cemetery (TPU) for non-Muslims in Bandung Regency. It's quite old. One of the tombstones shows the year of death as 1932.

One of the caretakers of Eigendom Banjaran Cemetery, Uun, 64, mentions that the complex was formerly owned by the Chinese community of Banjaran, covering an area of about one hectare, before its management was taken over by the Parks and Cemetery Unit of Bandung Regency. It's estimated that the land currently still usable is no more than a quarter of its total area.

Uun confirms that there are Christians from Pangalengan who are also buried in Eigendom Banjaran. He also admits to receiving complaints about cemetery issues there, directly from Pangalengan Christians.

"'What's going on, Mr. Uun? I bought the land before, during the time of several village heads, but the current village head doesn't acknowledge it,' like that. 'So I'm confused about where to bury, that's why I come here,'" said Uun, mimicking the complaint, when met at Eigendom Banjaran Cemetery on Friday, June 14, 2024.

In the Lebakwangi area, there are several cemetery complexes. Besides Eigendom Banjaran cemetery as a non-Muslim TPU, there's also a Non-Public Cemetery (TPBU) Astana Mawar Asih specifically for Catholics, and a cemetery owned and managed by the West Kalimantan Chinese Foundation.

Maintaining Good Relations

Venus Nareswari, Coordinator of the Interfaith Network (Jakatarub), believes that the Sentiong land dispute issue, which has resulted in difficulties for Christians in Pangalengan to bury their congregation members, falls under the violation of freedom of religion and belief (KBB). Cemetery matters are also rights and needs inherent to every religious adherent and believer, just like the rights and obligations to worship as guaranteed by the constitution.

"Usually people see KBB violations as related to houses of worship, celebrations, discrimination, intolerance, but they don't look at everyday aspects, like cemeteries," she said when contacted by phone on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

According to Venus, efforts to resolve cemetery issues should not only be viewed from the surface, but need to address the root of the problem. All parties, including the government which in sensitive cases like this often uses the pretext of maintaining conduciveness, must have sufficient openness and understanding. Intolerant actions should not stem merely from stigma.

"Sometimes people reject it simply because of the label 'Christian cemetery,'" she said.

With openness, intensive dialogue becomes possible. Every interested party should be involved.

Paulus Wiyono, General Chairman of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) West Java Region, encourages society to be able to accept the presence of community members who are different, along with all their accompanying needs. He believes this needs to be done by all interfaith communities.

"We have many community leaders who are very tolerant despite differences," he said when contacted by BandungBergerak on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

To Christians, Paulus hopes that they too can maintain good relationships with the surrounding community so that the process of social and cultural life with differences, including in cemetery matters, can be built. In this way, positive diversity can truly be established within society.

"Of course, the government's stance must also be clear as a guide for society, having the responsibility to maintain diversity," he said.

*This article is a collaboration between BandungBergerak.id and INFID through the PREVENT x INKLUSI Consortium program as part of a campaign to spread the values and spirit of tolerance, freedom of religion and belief, and inclusivity. This article is also published on the INFID website.

**Traslated from this article by Najmah Kaamiliaa.