Illustration (kompas.com/Uno Kartika)

The Jakarta city police have shown support for a new gubernatorial regulation that limits demonstrations in the capital city, signed recently by Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€Tjahaja Purnama.

'€œWe have to support the gubernatorial regulation. The regulation is to back up a law that is already in place,'€ said Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Mohammad Iqbal in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by tempo.co. He was referring to Law No. 9/1998 on freedom of expression in public places.

'€œExpressing one'€™s aspirations is allowed as long as people do not violate the gubernatorial regulation, which is supported by all stakeholders,'€ Iqbal added.

Under Gubernatorial Regulation No. 228/2015 on controlling the implementation of freedom of expression in public, demonstrations must be held in one of three locations: the east carpark at Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan; Alun Alun Demokrasi (Democracy Plaza) at the House complex; and Silang Selatan (Southern Cross) at the National Monument. All three areas are located in Central Jakarta.

The regulation also limits the timing of demonstrations to between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Responding to criticism from activists from NGOs, Governor Ahok stressed that the gubernatorial regulation did not violate any article in the country'€™s Constitution. '€œI am only following the existing law. Who made the law? I was not even in politics at that time,'€ he added.

Last Friday the police started to warn 12,000 workers demonstrating in front of the State Palace to disperse at 6 p.m. The police forcefully dispersed the protesters at about at 7 p.m., including with the use of a water cannon. (bbn).(+)

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