Jokowi urges Indonesians not to hold another rally

Indonesian President Joko Widodo today urged rally organisers protesting against Ahok not to hold another demonstration, which is supposed to take place on Nov 25.

More fondly known as Jokowi, the president said it was not necessary to stage any more demonstrations to demand for Ahok's arrest as the police had started investigations into alleged blasphemy by the incumbent Jakarta govenor.

"We hope there will be no more demonstrations," he was quoting as saying by an online media portal after his visit to the Special Mobile Brigade headquarters here today.

However, he said the relevant authorities and security forces have been instructed to be prepared for any eventuality as it was rumoured that hundreds of Muslims would return to gather for a follow up rally next Friday.

Jokowi had earlier visited the Army and Police headquarters and held meetings with the two largest Muslim organisations in the republic, namely Muhammadiyah and Nahdatul Ulama, to discuss on issues related to the Nov 4 demonstration.

Ahok whose real name is Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is alleged to have urged Muslims not to be deceived by his opponents who used the Al Maidah verse in the Quran to discourage them from voting non-Muslims as their leader, during his campaign in Pulau Seribu last September.

The statement angered Muslims across Indonesia who reacted by holding demonstrations in their respective territories and on Nov 4 hundreds of thousands of Muslims gathered in a protest rally demanding that Ahok be charged for insulting Islam.

The rally, however, ended in chaos after demonstrators refused to disperse until late in the evening and tried to approach the presidential palace.

Security forces were forced to fire water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowd and this led to a few protestors fighting back, throwing various objects and burning two security trucks.

Ahok is the only non-Muslim candidate and he is being challenged by two others, Anies Baswedan and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono for the Jakarta govenorship in elections scheduled to be held in February next year.

However, the day after the demonstration, Ahok claimed he was a victim of slander as the widely circulated video recording of his speech had been edited giving rise to the controversy.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the Republic of Indonesia had on Monday questioned Ahok along with several other individuals including the person who uploaded Ahok's video footage, Buni Yani, to assist in investigations. -- BERNAMA