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Police show strong response despite rally running peacefully
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Muslim men shout "God is great" during a rally against Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama who is being prosecuted for blasphemy, at the National Monument in Jakarta, on Dec. 2. Several hundred thousand conservative Muslims rallied in the capital on Friday in the second major protest in a month against the governor. (AP/Dita Alangkara)
W
hile the Dec. 2 rally was largely peaceful, the National Police have taken bold measures against politicians and activists suspected of committing unlawful acts against the government.
The police named musician-cum-politician Ahmad Dhani and nine other people suspects on treason charges, following their arrest before the rally, which was organized by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), took place at the National Monument (Monas) complex in Central Jakarta on Friday morning.
They comprise retired two-star Army general Kivlan Zein, former lawmaker Sri Bintang Pamungkas, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, sister of former president and ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, artist Ratna Sarumpaet, and activists identified only as Adityawarman, Eko, Firza Huzein, Jamran and Rizal. All of the suspects are reportedly still undergoing investigation at the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java.
“They all have been named suspects,” National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told journalists after the rally ended at around 2 p.m.
The third of a series of rallies aimed at pushing for the incarceration of non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama over alleged blasphemy ran relatively peacefully. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s attendance at the mass Friday prayer held during the rally has been widely praised as a significant move in ensuring that peace and security were maintained.
No violent incidents were reported as thousands of people flooded major Jakarta streets in an expression of Islamic solidarity. Unlike the Nov. 4 mass demonstration, no injuries or fatalities were reported during the Dec. 2 rally. Parks around Monas were not damaged, showing that the demonstrators consciously avoided any destruction of public facilities.
Several parties expressed their appreciation of the government for ensuring that the Dec. 2 rally ran peacefully. The participation of Jokowi and his ministers in the rally has been praised as proof that his government always sides with the people. “I believe this has made all of us happy and led this Super Damai [Super Peaceful] 2/12 rally to be more peaceful. It cooled everything down,” Zulkifli said as quoted by kompas.com on Friday.
The naming of politicians and political activists as suspects in relation to the Dec. 2 rally could potentially lead to unrest as doubts about the police’s legal basis to arrest and name them suspects linger. “The police have 24 hours to carry out their investigation. It will later be decided whether they should be detained,” said Boy Rafli, adding that the police’s move was just a follow up of reports they had received. (ebf)
