Four years have passed after the church burning incident in Aceh Singkil, but the conflict is still not over. In 2015, a mob burned and stoned the HKI Suka Makmur Church, because this church did not have a permit. Dozens of other churches have been demolished for the same reason.
The issue of church permits has not yet been resolved. According to the Qanun law in Aceh, the construction of churches must also be supported by Muslims - apart from Christians themselves.
The Christian population in this area continues to grow, but the church's permission has not increased.
As a result, Christians in Aceh Singkil now worship in 'tent churches', including other activities, such as Sunday School services. In the past four years, at least three emergency churches have moved locations, taking turns borrowing land belonging to one of the congregations.
"This is Aceh," said the Aceh Singkil Regent, Dul Musrid, when met at his office in the district capital, Singkil.
"Muslims have claimed that they are unlawful and cannot give support to the construction of places of worship. Because it is already considered a sin, it is the same as 'Muslims really help to build houses of worship for churches'," he said.
The conflict in 2015 was not the first to occur in Aceh Singkil. Since 1979, several conflicts related to the construction of churches have occurred in the regency, located near the border with North Sumatra.