Govt probes sources of wild rumors<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government called on the public yesterday
\nto be wary of potentially divisive rumors that could cause
\ntension between various social groups.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
\nSoesilo Soedarman, after leading a limited ministerial meeting
\nunder his coordination, called on the public not to be agitated
\nby the rumors.<\/p>\n
Briefing the press together with the chief of the State
\nIntelligence Coordinating Body, M. Soedibyo, Soesilo said
\nleaflets have been circulating, some even found in public places,
\nsuch as pedestrian bridges in Jakarta, that exploit social gaps,
\nshortcomings in the national development program and other
\nsensitive issues.<\/p>\n
\"The security authorities will investigate to determine the
\nsources of the rumors and take firm action against them,\" Soesilo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soedibyo said the authorities have yet to determine how widely
\nthe leaflets and brochures containing the \"misleading\"
\ninformation have been circulating.<\/p>\n
\"What's certain is they are circulating in the community,\" he
\nsaid. \"Given the availability of communication and multiplication
\nmeans, those leaflets seem to be spread quite widely.\"<\/p>\n
Both Soesilo and Soedibyo said the rumors, and the leaflets
\ncontaining them, were hatched by parties who are \"unhappy with
\neverything that this great and diverse nation has achieved\".<\/p>\n
No pardon<\/p>\n
Refusing to speculate on who the parties behind the pamphlets
\nare, Soesilo said: \"If we find them, there'll be no pardon for
\nthem, they'll be punished.\"<\/p>\n
Soedibyo called on the public to immediately report to the
\nauthorities if they find such leaflets or anything else that
\nmight disturb the peace.<\/p>\n
He cited as an example the recent potentially violent
\nincidents involving hundreds of students who were so agitated by
\nsuch rumors that they planned to attack another school.<\/p>\n
\"Without bothering to check, those students planned the
\nattack,\" Soedibyo said.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of senior high school students in Jakarta and Bogor
\nreportedly planned twice to attack a Catholic senior high school
\nin Sukabumi, West Java, after being provoked by a rumor that the
\nKoran, the holy book of Islam, had been burned.<\/p>\n
The rumor, which had been spread through the distribution of
\nleaflets, was later proven to be unfounded.<\/p>\n
Some 140 students were later arrested in connection with the
\nattack plan, and police confiscated a number of weapons,
\nincluding knives, hammers and chains, from them.<\/p>\n
Soedibyo said the leaflets originated from both abroad and
\ninside the country. One leaflet, which he said came from abroad,
\nwas titled Urgent Action and was basically written to provoke
\npublic outrage.<\/p>\n
Soedibyo said that the writers of the leaflets had even used
\nthe recent rioting in East Timor province as a basis for
\nspreading rumors. The pamphlet writers have created the
\nimpression as if \"something critically dangerous has happened
\nhere and should be responded to hastily,\" Soedibyo said.<\/p>\n
He then pointed out that the public should rely on information
\nfrom authoritative sources instead of paying attention to rumors.<\/p>\n
\"If the government says there's nothing wrong, there's nothing
\nwrong,\" Soedibyo said.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said several foreign media, including BBC London and
\nRadio Netherlands, have broadcast news about the rumors. \"Almost
\nall of those stories, including the data quoted, were unfounded.
\nAnd the stories only contained dissatisfaction over the nation's
\nachievements,\" Soedibyo.<\/p>\n
Soesilo also announced that yesterday's meeting reached an
\nagreement to better equip the existing state media centers,
\nestablished at the ministries of foreign affairs and information,
\nto enable the agencies to produce materials to counter foreign
\ninformation which is harmful Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The government has decided to strengthen the media centers
\nwith adequate personnel, facilities and funds,\" Soesilo said.
\n\"The centers will also formulate steps to prepare accurate
\ninformation about Indonesia.\" (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-probes-sources-of-wild-rumors-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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