Inconsistency over Gaga confusing: IPW

JAKARTA. The Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) has criticized the National Police’s intervention in the Jakarta Police’s decision over American pop diva Lady Gaga’s concert in Jakarta.

IPW chairman Neta S. Pane said the conflicting statements from the two forces show the police were unprofessional.

“Such unprofessional [behavior] and inconsistency will only make people confused,” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

The Jakarta Police last week said that it would not issue a recommendation for Gaga’s concert, following protests from Islamic groups that consider the Grammy Award-winning singer indulged in pornography.

But National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said on Monday that the police would allow the concert to go ahead so long as the promoter obtained recommendations from several institutions, including the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

Both institutions have shown strong opposition to the concert.

“The National Police should not intervene in this matter because the concert is to be held under the authority of the Jakarta Police. The Jakarta Police are the ones who know their region and potential threats should the concert be held,” Neta said.

He added that such inconsistency would only make people, especially the promoter and ticket buyers, confused. He said the National Police should support the decision of Jakarta Police. (Irawaty Wardany)