TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Tolikara incident which killed one person and injured 11 others shows the failure of the government and religious leaders to prevent conflicts between followers of different faiths.

After the attacks on followers of Ahmadiyah and against Shias, as well as the vandalism of churches in several places in Indonesia over the last few years, we have now been stung by this open conflict.

The trouble began when a group of youths from the Evangelical Church of Indonesia (GIDI) attacked Muslims during their Idul Fitri prayers at Karubaga, Tolikara regency in Papua on July 17. Violence broke out when the police fired warning shots. After dry grass caught fire, the GIDI group became enraged, with some of them burning shops and a mosque near the location of the prayers.

Questions should be asked about the security forces' lack of preparedness to deal with conflict. Furthermore, the inability of the intelligence agency to detect signs of trouble shows a failure to anticipate on the part of the authorities. There needs to be a thorough investigation carried out by an independent team credible in the eyes of the public. We would appreciate the involvement of bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission.

The investigation should go right to the root of the problem. The incident should be probed second by second to separate facts from fiction and embellishments. The background of radicalism should be unraveled. For example, could there have been economic envy by local people directed at newcomers? The investigation also needs to determine whether the violence had any connection with Papuan separatism.

Investigators must not overlook the indications that the Tolikara incident was sparked by a circular from the Tolikara GIDI signed by its chairman, Nayus Wenda and secretary Marthen Jingga on July 11, banning Muslims from religious activities in the open or from using loudspeakers and restricting worship to prayer rooms or other indoor locations. On Idul Fitri day, there was an international Youth Seminar and Revival Service, with 2,500 invited guests from countries such as the Netherlands, the United States, Papua New Guinea, Palau and Israel. The circular also banned Muslims from wearing headscarves.

This religious ban cannot be tolerated. Article 29 of the Constitution clearly states that the state guarantees the freedom of every citizen to embrace his or her religion and to worship in accordance with that religion. This guarantee of religious freedom and belief is absolute and cannot be infringed.

Therefore banning or making it difficult for people to pray in Tolikara or anywhere else such as the Yasmin Church in Bogor is a violation of the Constitution. The government must uphold the law: the guilty must be punished.

The government seems to be uncertain on how to react to the violence in Tolikara. There was nothing wrong with Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo handing out Qur'ans in Tolikara, but this was merely ceremonial and did not address the roots of the problem.

What does need to be appreciated are the reconciliation efforts by the local people. The handshake between Kalsis Toli chairman, Father Yunus Wenda and H. Ali Muktar, representing the Muslim community, was a positive step that we hope will reduce tensions.

The collection of funds to rebuild the mosque and the shops in Tolikara organized by celebrities such as Pandji Pragiwaksono and several Islamic organizations shows that people sometimes move faster than the bureaucracy.

The government must work extra hard. Religious radicalism must be nipped in the bud. Doctrines that teach followers of one religion to hate believers in another must be eliminated at the outset.

In Papua, respect for pluralism must go hand in hand with economic development that can bridge the gap between locals and immigrants. Most of the newcomers to Papua are from Bugis, Buton and Makassar, who are Muslims working in the retail sector.

Peace must be maintained in Papua and in other parts of Indonesia. The violence may have stopped, but the 'snake in the grass' of religious conflict is still there, and could strike at any time. This is true for other parts of Indonesia as well as Tolikara.

What happened in Tolikara is a valuable lesson. The failure of the government and local people to defend religious pluralism must not be repeated. Law enforcement authorities still need to protect all groups and punish those who destroy the path to peace. (*)

Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine