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View all search resultsOnline crackdown haunts Indonesia protests
Rights groups condemned the arrests against people who posted on social media about the protests and riots, which were feared of opening the door for more prosecutions against more social media users who voice criticism against the government and other authorities.
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University students hold a poster at a rally on Sept. 4 outside the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta that read #WargaJagaWarga (Citizens protect citizens) and a picture depicting Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old motorcycle ride-hailing driver who was killed after being run over by a police armored vehicle during protests over lawmakers' lavish pay and allowances on Aug. 28. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
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rrests of activists and social media users for posting content on social media that the police allege incited a string of protests and riots in Jakarta and other regions has raised concerns of criminalization of the public’s freedom of expression.
Over the week, the police have arrested more than 40 people as part of their effort to seek “provocateurs” behind the riots in Jakarta last week, which broke out amid public protests against lawmakers’ lavish perks.
The protests escalated in intensity and scale, spreading nationwide, after 21-year-old ride-hailing (ojol) driver Affan Kurniawan was run over on Aug. 28 by a police vehicle and died of his wounds. At least 10 people, including Affan, have been killed, with more than 1,000 people injured as of Thursday, according to figures compiled by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).
Of the dozens arrested, at least 11 people were detained for their social media posts that police allege incited protests and riots.
Among them was Laras Faizati Khairunninsa, a communications officer for an organization affiliated with the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta. The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) cybercrime directorate accused Laras of “inciting hatred toward certain individuals and groups as well as inciting mass action” through posts and videos on her social media account.
Read also: Post-riot military presence vexes civil groups
During a press briefing on Wednesday, cybercrime director Brig. Gen. Himawan Bayu Aji showed screenshots of Laras’ Instagram story in which she said her office is “right next to the National Police headquarters”, while calling for people to “please burn this building down and get them all”.
