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Coalition forms anti-persecution crisis center
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Firebrand preacher Rizieq Shihab (center, on vehicle) leads thousands of people participating in a rally in Jakarta on Feb. 21. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he Anti-Persecution Coalition has formed a crisis center to protect and provide legal assistance to victims of persecution and harassment.
“We felt that there should be an attempt to prevent persecution from happening. If we don’t stop it now, it can spread to the whole country,” said Damar Juniarto of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.
SAFEnet recorded 55 recent persecution victims as of Thursday, with the latest being a 15-year-old of Chinese descent from East Jakarta who was filmed while being harassed by some 100 people claiming to be members of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI).
Rizieq, the FPI’s leader, has been named suspect in a pornography case and been placed on the police’s most-wanted list after failing to answer two police summonses.
Damar added that victims could call or send a text message to the crisis center hotline at 081286938292. They could also send an email to antipersekusi@gmail.com, he went on to say.
The coalition indicated that persecution was being carried out systematically.
“There could be six cases in separate areas of the country in one day,” he added. (kuk)
