Jakarta – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said democracy is not freedom to force ones will on others and not right to destroy.
“Demonstration is democratic right of all citizens but not to force ones will on others and to cause destruction,” Jokowi said in personal twitter on Monday.
Jokowi referred to big demonstration planned by a number of Islamic organization against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) for alleged blasphemy insulting the Koran.
The president said the government would guarantee and protect the right to speak but public order is foremost.
“I has asked security agencies to be on the alert and carry out their duty professionally to deal against anarchists,” he warned.
Earlier the state police asked all people to think positive about the religious demonstration planned for Friday Nov. 4
“Let us think positively . Please dont think there is something bad,” polices chief spokesman Ins.Gene.Boy Rafli Amar said here on Sunday.
“Dont think that we (police) have to act repressively,” Boy said, adding, police have a permanent procedure in dealing with demonstrations in line with the police chief regulation No. 16 of 2006 giving stress on persuasive approaches.
He said demonstration is a form of expression to convey opinions that police should guarantee.
In this context, demonstration leaders are required to report their demonstration plan , number of participants and attributes to police.
There are fears that extremists from all over the country would flock to the capital city to take advantage of the situation to create instability for hidden targets.
Earlier, chairman of the countrys largest non political Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Said Aqil Siraj said he feared that the plan action, apart from election issue, had other targets.
Aqil Siraj said NU would not allow its members to take part in the demonstration or the use of NU attributes in the rally.
“I forbid taking part in the demonstration,” he said, adding NU elements such as GP Anshor and PMII are not allowed to use NU attributes if they took part in the demonstration.
He also warned the demonstrators not to get anarchist disrupting the national stability that would only hurt the people in general.
