A/HRC/7/10/Add.1 page 29 28 (I) subsection 5 of the Constitution, which both embody the effort that is geared towards ensuring a full and applicable protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The former also allows for the training of local authorities and law enforcement officials to this end. Notwithstanding this, it should be noted that the police is not permitted to use coercion or force as an intimidation tactic on individuals, whether for religious, racial or other reasons. 110. The Government emphasized that therefore, whilst this matter is being investigated to determine the veracity of the facts, it is important that the authorities be allowed the space to establish who is responsible for this incident as well as the exact facts leading up to the allegations. The Government set out that when this is determined and only following the decision of appropriate authorities can a punitive judicial trail and ruling be carried out. Observations 111. The Special Rapporteur is grateful for the Government’s response and she would be appreciative to be informed of recent developments in that case. Communication sent on 26 November 2007 112. The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information she had received regarding the local Bahá'í community in Palolo, Donggala district, Central Sulawesi. On 7 November 2007, the Governmental Office of Religious Affairs in Palolo attempted to force members of the local Bahá'í community to recant their faith. Camera crews from national TV stations were present while the Bahá’í were called in, intimidated and pressured to recant their beliefs. Two of them gave in to the pressure and recanted, agreeing to return to Islam, while the others refused to do so. Furthermore, the local Office of Religious Affairs in Palolo told the Bahá'ís that their houses would be burned and that their safety could not be guaranteed. Prior to the incident, local and national media had focused attention on the issues of conversion and apostasy, explicitly referring to 31 residents of Banpers village in Palolo sub-district who had converted their belief in Islam into that in Bahá'í. 113. Furthermore, although the Bahá'í Faith is currently not included in a list of banned “Islamic sects”, the Government reportedly mandated the Council of Ulemas to watch over movements not on the list and to propose those that, in its view, should be banned in future. Observations 114. The Special Rapporteur regrets that she has not received a reply from the Government concerning the above mentioned allegation. She would like to emphasize that Article 18, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that “[n]o one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice”. Furthermore, each State also has the positive obligation of ensuring that the persons on their territory and under their jurisdiction, including members of religious minorities, can practise the religion or belief of their choice free of coercion and fear. Violations and limitations of the freedom to adopt, change or renounce a religion or belief are unacceptable. The Special Rapporteur has dealt with the question of conversion in her 2005 report to the General Assembly (see A/60/399, paras. 40-68), in which she identified situations, where State agents try to convert, reconvert or prevent the conversion of persons as one of the issues of concern.