Agnes Anya, Jakarta – Acting Jakarta governor Sumarsono responded on Wednesday to a number of banners that were put up recently saying that Jakartans were fed up with the raising of ethnic, religious and racial (SARA) issues around the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

He said the banners, which were directed at incumbent candidate Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is a non-Muslim of Chinese descent, were a form of protest from Jakarta residents who have been facing SARA issues.

"They [Jakartans] want peace. We understand that they are upset because SARA issues have appeared again while previously they had been long buried," he said.

He then called on Jakartans to consider all other Indonesians as their equals despite their different races, ethnicities and religions. "We are all brothers and sisters in one nation."

Following a number of hateful banners, the city is now seeing banners countering the raising of SARA issues, some of which read "Jakartans have had enough of ethnic, religious and racial issues" popping up in several strategic areas in the capital.

Some of the banners were installed on pedestrian bridges near Bank Indonesia and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, both in Central Jakarta, and in Slipi Jaya, West Jakarta.

However, by Wednesday afternoon, the city's Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in cooperation with the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) had taken down the banners as they were installed without official permission.

Moreover, the authorities considered the banners to be related to election. The hanging of banners related to the upcoming election is currently illegal.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/04/06/jakartans-want-peace-acting-governor.html