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Jokowi administration slammed for attempt to silence political dissent
The government wants to form a “national legal team” to monitor and evaluate “words, acts, and thoughts” from public figures that are “obviously in violation of the law.”
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Activists of the Solidarity Network of Victims for Justice attend the 574th Kamisan, a weekly silent protest, in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta recently. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
Activists and observers have roundly criticized President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration for its apparent attempt to suppress political dissent in the wake of the 2019 presidential election.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said on Monday that the government had decided to form a “national legal team” to monitor and evaluate “words, acts, and thoughts” from public figures that were “obviously in violation of the law.”
He said the move was a response to a number of actions that had created public unrest after last month’s elections.
“We cannot allow people to undermine the lawful government and even direct insults and curses at the legitimate President, who is still officially the president until October,” he said. “There is already a law for that, a punishment.”
He also said that media that “assisted in breaking the law” would be shut down.
Meanwhile, former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief and member of Jokowi’s inner circle Hendropriyono called on Indonesians of Arabic descent to refrain from being “provocateurs,” in an apparent reference to firebrand cleric and Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, who is of Yemeni descent.
