Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has instructed his subordinates to take stern action against those involved in the persecution and harassment of a 15-year-old boy in East Jakarta. Two men have reportedly been arrested and detained for questioning.
"If something like this happens again, I have urged all police officers to not fear [taking stern action against the perpetrators]. I will back them [the officers] up in accordance with the prevailing laws," Tito said on Thursday evening.
He said the National Police were focused on efforts to crack down on online persecution by hard-line groups. "[The hard-line groups] should not take the law into their own hands," Tito asserted.
Regarding the men involved in the harassment of the 15-year-old boy in East Jakarta, Tito told East Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Andry Wibowo to arrest and detain the alleged culprits. Andry confirmed that two men, identified as M and U, had been detained in relation to the case.A video has gone viral showing the boy, who is of Chinese descent, being intimidated and harassed by a group of people claiming to be members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) for insulting their fugitive leader, Rizieq Shihab. In the video, the men can be seen coercing the boy, to sign a statement of apology for slandering Rizieq, who was recently named a suspect in a pornography case. A man is seen slapping the boy's mouth two times. (dmr)