The Jakarta administration, through the Early Awareness Society Forum (FKDM), promised on Friday to intensify its effort to help the Police curb pervasive acts of persecution by hard-line groups.
The forum, operated under the Jakarta National and Political Unity Agency (Bakesbangpol), serves to detect any potential threats in society, which it will then report to the police.
“We have eyes, feet and ears in every community unit [RW] and subdistrict across the city. They will monitor any occurrence in their respective areas,” Jakarta Bakesbangpol head Darwis Muhammad Adjie said on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.
He hoped the presence of the forum would provide comfort to citizens following the recent acts of persecution haunting the city. He added, however, that it would be up to the police to takes measures against the intolerant group.
“We will only monitor because we don’t have any authority to arrest nor legally process,” he said.
The Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) has recorded 55 recent acts of persecution as of Thursday, with the latest victim a 15-year-old boy in East Jakarta.
A video showing the boy, who was intimidated and slapped by people claiming to be members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) for insulting their fugitive leader Rizieq Shihab, has gone viral and drawn considerable public attention. The firebrand cleric has been on the police’s wanted-list over an alleged pornography case. (fac)
