Indonesia: Authorities allow two years of uncollected garbage to pile up next to a church

SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Authorities in Indonesia are allowing two years of uncollected garbage to pile up next to a church building and a Catholic university, sources said.

The unhygienic and foul-smelling garbage – bagged, spilling out of broken bags or unbagged – in Yogyakarta city, capital of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Central Java Province that has not been collected for two years is becoming increasingly unhealthy for members of St. Antonius Padua Catholic Church and those at the nearby Jesuit campus of Sanata Dharma Catholic University.

“The garbage problem has been around for a long time, since the 1980s, causing disturbing stench during the rainy season, when the garbage mixes with rainwater to become mud,” congregation member Susi Sasmita told Morning Star News by phone. “This situation has worsened in the last few years and is very disturbing to the congregation. Imagine if this case happened at a mosque – the situation could be chaotic.”

She expressed regret that Christians tend to accept arbitrary and discriminatory treatment.

“We have done it without protest – as a result, it gets worse,” Susi said. “In addition to being disturbed by the pungent smell of garbage, churchgoers also find it difficult to park their vehicles on the 75-80 meter stretch of this road.”…