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Jokowi scrambles to keep nation stable
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Toning it down: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center), accompanied by State Secretary Pratikno (right) and Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir, talks to media at the Muslim organization’s office in Jakarta on Tuesday. The government is seeking to quash religious tensions following a recent rally sparked by alleged blasphemy. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo should have been on a state visit to Australia this week, but instead spent the past two days visiting the country’s armed forces and major Islamic organizations in a bid to maintain stability in the country amid public outrage involving blasphemy allegations made against the Jakarta governor.
After visiting the headquarters of the Indonesian Army and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation’s largest Muslim organization, on Monday, Jokowi on Tuesday paid a visit to the Police Higher Education College (PTIK) in South Jakarta and the headquarters of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim group in the country after NU, in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
In a speech before the police’s top brass at PTIK, Jokowi asked the force to remain steadfast against pressure from any group.
“The National Police is a big institution with 430,000 personnel. Therefore, do not hesitate to sternly carry out law enforcement,” Jokowi said. “A big institution like the police must not be doubtful and discouraged when dealing with small groups, any organizations or any individuals,” he added.
The President was forced to postpone his visit to Canberra, scheduled for Nov. 6 to 8, after more than 100,000 people took to the streets in Jakarta to demand the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama for allegedly insulting the Quran.
The Islam Defenders Front (FPI), which strongly opposes Ahok’s bid to extend his term through the upcoming Jakarta election, spearheaded the rally, which was supported by various Islamic groups, including the Muslim Students Association (HMI).
The rally, which initially ran peacefully, turned violent after dark, leaving one protester dead and several police officers injured.
Five HMI activists, including its secretary-general, have been charged with instigating the violence.
In the past two days, the President has been scrambling to maintain national stability after the Friday rally.
When addressing 2,000 military personnel on Monday, Jokowi reminded them that he was the highest military commander and, therefore, they should follow his orders to not tolerate any provocations aimed at dividing the nation.
Jokowi said that during the closed-door meeting with Muhammadiyah leaders he told them he would not tamper with the ongoing police investigation into Ahok’s case.
“I’d like to underline that I will not protect Basuki Tjahaja Purnama since there is already an ongoing legal process [over blasphemy allegations]; the public needs to know this,” Jokowi said.
The President has instructed the National Police to run a fair and transparent investigation into Ahok, but rumors that another large rally would take place in the capital in the next two weeks were already rife on Tuesday. The protesters have said they would continue their protests until Ahok is jailed.
The police had promised to decide whether to charge Ahok with blasphemy within two weeks of the rally.
Jokowi has several times sought support from Muhammadiyah and NU for different reasons, including when he was accused of not being Muslim during his presidential campaign in 2014 and also when he was severely criticized for his tough stance on drug convicts.
After assuming office, the President granted a number of positions to figures affiliated with the two organizations, including seats on the Presidential Advisory Board, known as Wantimpres, and in his Cabinet.
On Tuesday, Jokowi reiterated his claim that “political actors” had exploited the Nov. 4 rally, saying that their identities would be revealed after a thorough investigation by police.
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said there was strong information about the suspected political actors who allegedly took advantage of the rally. “There needs to be [sufficient] evidence. Once there is and it proves a clear violation occurred, we will enforce the law,” said Tito.
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