JAKARTA - National Police deputy chief Ari Dono Sukmanto said on Saturday that the police have been focusing on the prevention of growing confrontation between supporters of presidential candidates ahead of the legislative and presidential elections in April.
The forum was attended by various institutions, including the police and rights group Setara Institute, as well as political experts. The police have also arrested people who allegedly spread hate speech through social media. A video that recently went viral on social media showed three women in Karawang, West Java, claiming that should incumbent President Joko Widodo be re-elected, he would ban adzan and legalise same-sex marriages. The women were arrested for inciting hate speech under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.
He went on to say the police are currently taking stern measures to fight misinformation, expressing hope that more civil organisations help ease the tensions.