Politician: Police should probe intellectual actors behind May 21-22 riots

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Chairperson of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Bara Hasibuan has called on the National Police to conduct comprehensive investigation to uncover the intellectual actors behind the riots on May 21-22, 2019.

Hasibuan urged the police to arrest intellectual actors behind the incident.

"The people, who conceived and planned out the riots, must be exposed, as there is no room for them in this democratic country," Hasibuan remarked through a press release obtained here on Saturday.

Hasibuan made the statement at a discussion on the Indonesian Political Study Circle (LSPI) themed "2019 Election Legitimacy: Between People Power and Reconciliation" in Jakarta.

Hasibuan believes the riots that claimed several lives inflicted huge losses on Indonesia's economy, as it tarnished the country's image in the eyes of the international public.

"It causes major losses, although other countries' positive perceptions is an important part. We appeal to the government to be firm, including in enforcing the law for all parties," Hasibuan remarked.

Furthermore, Hasibuan urged PAN cadres to desist from partaking in election-related demonstrations, let alone to cause damage to public facilities. On the basis of yesterday's incident, some irresponsible groups ran amok on the roads susceptible to violence.

In addition to the discussion, a declaration of rejecting the people power action was also made by students from the Inter-University Student Network. They also expressed their support to the police to guard the community and encouraged the law enforcement apparatus to conduct investigations into the riots on May 21-22.

"The concept of people power is irrelevant right now. Creating situations and perceptions is not legitimate nor is inciting everyone to take to the streets. For me, yesterday's events were the result of a snowballing of earlier events," he added.