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Police probe internet users spreading Chinese labor influx rumors
The police are currently investigating social media accounts that allegedly have been spreading rumors about the influx of millions of Chinese workers into Indonesia in response to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s call to have the people spreading the rumors caught.
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Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono answers journalists' questions. (kompas.com/File)
T
he police are currently investigating social media accounts that allegedly have been spreading rumors about the influx of millions of Chinese workers into Indonesia in response to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s call to have the people spreading the rumors caught.
The police had immediately followed up the President's instruction by probing suspected accounts on social media, said Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiono, after a joint press conference with National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rikwanto on Monday.
"A police team has been investigating [the case] for four days now. We want to find out who first spread the rumors. We are on the suspects' trail," Awi said.
Jokowi has been irked by rumors on social media that claim some 10 million Chinese workers have been allowed to enter Indonesia. He said such rumors potentially created unnecessary hysteria within society.
Jokowi said it was illogical that the number of Chinese workers was as high as 10 million because that number was far above the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia, which only reached 2 million. He said currently only 21,000 Chinese workers were working in Indonesia. (bbn)
