Jokowi claims demonstration was politicised

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has claimed that certain politicians took advantage of a demonstration by hundreds of thousands of Muslims yesterday, to sour the atmosphere of the capital city of Jakarta.

As a result, he said, participants of the gathering were influenced by them, causing commotion and fighting with the security forces.

"We regret the incident which took place after Isya (prayers) when the gathering should have dispersed but turned into a riot, instead.

"We see it as having been instigated by political actors taking advantage of the situation," he said as quoted by online media today.

Jokowi said he had directed his deputy, Jusuf Kalla to accept the memorandum of protest from the representative of the gathering as he had to attend a function away from the palace.

"I have stated that the Ahok case will be firmly, accurately and transparently investigated...Let the security authorities carry out their work to complete the process of law enforcement in the fairest manner possible," he said.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims took part in the demonstration to protest against the Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok, who was regarded as having insulted Islam.

Ahok, during a meeting with voters in Pulau Seribu last month, had urged them not to be duped by those using the Al Maidah Chapter of the Quran to forbid them from selecting a leader who was not from among Muslims.

He is the sole Chinese and non-Muslim candidate for governor in Indonesia, to contest and defend his post at the Indonesian District Head Election (Pilkada) in February next year.

Ahok will be challenged by two pairs who would be contesting on the platforms of two more political party coalitions, namely the pairs of Anies Bsawedan-Sandiaga Uno and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni.

Ahok's statement had raised the ire of Muslims and religious figures nationwide and they organised huge gatherings after Friday prayers yesterday.

However, the gathering which was scheduled to end at 6pm yesterday at the palace, dragged on until 5 this morning when thousands of the participants of the demnstration marched towards the Indonesian Parliament in Southern Jakarta.

Having failed to enter the Parliament compound, they slept on the road until Subuh prayers before dispersing.

Prior to that, there were commotions when participants of the gathering refused to disperse on the excuse they wanted the representatives of the gathering to meet President Joko Widodo, and not his representative.

The incidents took place when several representatives of the organisers of the gathering, including leaders of the National Movement to Defend the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), Cholil Ridwan and Athos Alatas entered the palace to hand over the memorandum.

They then met vice-president Jusuf Kalla as they refused to hand over the memorandum to several cabinet ministers who were at the palace.

The police were forced to use water cannons to disperse them and the situation worsened when participants of the gathering started to fight back by hurling various objects and torching the vehicles belonging to the security forces. -- BERNAMA