Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has criticized the passage of the controversial Job Creation Law, which was rushed through in spite of significant public opposition, leading to nationwide strikes and protests over the past few days.
In a letter issued on Thursday, the council firmly rejected the jobs law, saying it would benefit only "employers and investors" and would trample on the interests of workers.
"We deeply regret the government's indifference to the requests made by various Islamic mass organizations [...] and the public to drop the deliberation of the law," the MUI said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
The council said the demonstrations that had broken out across the country were protected by the Constitution and that the police should therefore refrain from using repressive measures against the protesters.
"Security personnel must safeguard and protect the rights of protesters [...] We demand that President Joko Widodo control the rampage of security forces," read the letter, which was signed by MUI deputy chairman Muhyiddin Junaidi and secretary-general Anwar Abbas.
Some demonstrations in opposition to the jobs law have resulted in clashes between protestors and the police.
At certain protests, security personnel allegedly fired tear gas without warning and physically assaulted protesters.The Jakarta Police arrested nearly 1,000 people during the protests in the capital city, while hundreds of others are believed to have been apprehended by the police in other regions of the country.
Protesters have demanded that the government revoke the law that they say undermines workers' rights and environmental protection. The government, meanwhile, has insisted that the law is necessary to cut red tape and boost investment. (Vny)