The Indonesian Police Watch Institute (IPW) has urged the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to be firm and professional in responding to the pros and cons in the conflicts triggered by the #2019ChangePresident Movement.
“The IPW argued that the cases caused by the movement in Pekanbaru and Surabaya should not be allowed and must be addressed by the Police professionally and firmly,” IPW Presidium Chairman Neta S. Pane noted in a written statement here on Monday.
Pane remarked that Polri should not tolerate any potential security threats that can trigger horizontal conflicts at the grassroots level. “The National Police must be present to safeguard security and not allow the potential for conflict to become social chaos,” he explained.
Furthermore, the IPW Presidium chairman appealed to supporters of the #2019President Change Movement and President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to refrain from horizontal conflicts before the 2019 presidential election.
Seeing the escalation of conflict between the two masses that is increasingly high, Pane noted that the National Police needs to hold a dialog with the figures of the two groups.
If conditions are heating up and can cause social insecurity, he emphasized that the Polri should not hesitate to prohibit both parties from conducting activities in all parts of Indonesia until the time of the presidential election campaigns arrives.
“Polri should not hesitate to be assertive. The IPW fully supports the firm stance of the Police apparatus to be assertive and professional, as the IPW believes that what happened in Pekanbaru and Surabaya has greatly disrupted public order and triggered social unrest,” he noted.
Pane stated that the people, who did not take part in the actions of the two groups, had become increasingly concerned about the security threats in their region.
He noted that the supporters of the president change movement and Jokowi should be aware of the importance of public order and tranquility that all parties are looking for.
“Indeed there is no single law that prohibits the activities of the two groups. However, because their activities have created conflicts and have the potential to cause social chaos, in the name of public order and the public interest, the Police can act decisively to stop all activities of the two groups,” he explained.
The IPW also expressed hope that the General Election Commission would respond to this situation by banning the activities of the two groups until the campaign period arrives.
