President Joko Widodo must have thought that the negative sentiments, statements and actions among certain religious and ethnic groups have been so incontrolable that he neededto jump in and have a say about the problem.
He held a press conference this afternoon to address the citizens of Indonesia to stop fighting each other and start uniting as Indonesians. He was accompanied by religious leaders, National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and National Military Chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.
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I assure you that the freedom to have opinion, to be in organizations and to gather is guaranteed by our constitution. But, I have to say that such freedom has to be within the legal corridors, Pancasila, and the 1945 Constitution, he said.
If recently there have been tensions between groups within the society, starting from now, I want you to stop immediately, he said at the State Palace.
Stop defaming each other as we are brothers and sisters. Stop speaking ill of each other as we are brothers and sisters. Stop the slander because we are brothers and sisters. Stop rejecting each other as we are brother and sisters. Stop rallying against each other. Such unproductive things only wasted our energy.
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He also said that he already instructed the authorities to take firmer action towards all action that might hurt the nations unity.
I have ordered the National Police Chief and National Military Chief to not hesitate should they need to take firm action towards all statements and actions that disturb our unity and brotherhood, our nation and Bhineka Tunggal Ika. (Statements and actions) that contradict Pancasila and 1945 Constitution, he said. May God bless us.
Jokowi did not elaborate what firm action means nor what constitutes as statements and actions that might harm the nations unity, but this might be a green light for police and the military to take direct or further action against radical groups, as last week the government has started to act upon such groups by planning to disband and ban a hardline Islamic group, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia.