akarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan has asked residents not to join another massive rally planned on Dec. 2 related to a blasphemy case implicating Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.
“Residents should not join the rally on Nov. 25 or on Dec. 2 since police have already named Ahok a suspect in the case,” Iriawan said on Saturday as reported by kompas.com.
Instead of joining the rally, he said, people could observe the legal process as the police have pledged to proceed quickly.
(Read also: Rally erupts in violence)
Muslim conservatives, grouped under the National Movement to Save Indonesian Ulema Council’s edict (GNPF-MUI), have planned to hold a massive rally on Dec. 2, demanding that the police detain Ahok. The group earlier planned to organize a rally on Nov. 25.
On Nov. 4, hundreds of thousands of Muslim conservatives, led by the group, staged a rally in front of the Presidential Palace, asking the government to prosecute Ahok on account of the blasphemy allegation. The rally ended in violence with two police cars set on fire.
"Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, has frequently asked for forgiveness, saying he never intended to insult Islam and the Quran with his statement in Thousand Islands regency last month."(jun)
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