Jakarta – Mardani Ali Sera, member of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), has seen the arrests of a number of activists of KAMI (Union for Action to Conserve Indonesia) by the cops on Tuesday (13/10) as a test for the application of democracy in the nation.
” This is a test for democracy. All arrests must be based on rigorous legal norms,” Mardani Sera, senior political leader of PKS, informed the press here on Wednesday.
So far Law Number 11 of 2008 worrying Electronic Info and Transactions (ITE) has frequently been utilized as a basis for arresting someone, he noted.
The proportion should be positioned in accordance with the basic rights to flexibility of expression and the right to associate, he stated.
” PKS has started a revision of posts in the ITE Law, especially those that are often used as the basis for arrests or legal proceedings based on declarations published on social media,” he stated.
” Whether the arrests of KAMI activists are a test for that organization or other civilian forces, time will inform,” he added
In the meantime, the pro-democracy forces need to unite to keep flexibility of speech to continue, he included.
Previously, Brigadier General Awi Setiyono, spokesperson of the Indonesian Police (Polri) confirmed about the arrests of KAMI activists, saying that the arrests were based on strong preliminary proof.
The evidences are in the types of screenshots of the WhatsApp Group (WAG) discussions, proposals, and other evidence of uploads on social media.
Among the most striking evidences is a content of the KAMI WAG conversation that is thought of being an effort at incitement.
Those who do not truly comprehend, are easily fired up,” Awi Setiyono stated at the Police Crook Examination Department building here on Tuesday (13/10).
8 KAMI activists have been arrested in Jakarta and Medan, North Sumatra.
The cops are still examining their conversation promoting incitement and hate speech based upon SARA (tribe, religious, race and group) aspects, he said.
The incitement by KAMI activists was related to the protests versus the Job Development Law which eventually led to anarchist actions in different big cities in Indonesia.
The press reported that the eight KAMI activists being arrested by the police are Juliana, Devi, Khairi Amri, and Wahyu Rasari Putri from Medan; Anton Permana, Syahganda Nainggolan, Jumhur Hidayat, and Kingkin from Jakarta.
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