Vice President 10th and 12th of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf\nKalla (JK), has finally spoken out regarding reports filed against him\nby several groups to the police in both Jakarta and North Sumatra\n(Sumut) related to his statements at a forum in the UGM Mosque on 5\nMarch 2026.<\/p>\n
According to JK, those reporting him for alleged religious defamation\nor harassment are merely relying on video clips accompanied by\ninaccurate narratives concerning his lecture reviewing the Poso and\nAmbon conflicts. He stated that the individuals creating these\nnarratives and filing police reports on suspicion of religious\ndefamation have slandered him.<\/p>\n
In a firm tone, JK remarked that those who have slandered him did not\neven witness the Poso and Ambon conflicts or the peace efforts\ndirectly.<\/p>\n
Initially, JK also showed recordings of excerpts from videos of the\nconflicts in Poso and Ambon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose slandering me, were they ever there [in the midst of the Poso\nand Ambon conflicts]? I was there. Hamid [former Minister of Law and\nHuman Rights Hamid Awaluddin] was there, Uceng [JK\u2019s spokesperson Husain\nAbdullah] as a journalist at the time went to see,\u201d said JK to\njournalists gathered at his home in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on\nSaturday (18\/4).<\/p>\n
Hamid and Husain accompanied JK during the press conference.<\/p>\n
According to JK, the conflict situations in Poso (Central Sulawesi)\nand Ambon (Maluku) in the late 1990s and early 2000s were more brutal\nthan the G30S\/PKI incident. The conflicts, which began between residents\nin each region, later developed into ones with religious overtones, or\nSARA (ethnicity, religion, race, and inter-group relations).<\/p>\n
Previously, the Executive Board of the Indonesian Christian Youth\nMovement (GAMKI) along with several organisations reported JK to the\npolice.<\/p>\n
GAMKI General Chairman Sahat Sinurat stated that JK\u2019s remarks were\ndeemed to offend Christian teachings and caused a stir in the lecture at\nthe UGM Mosque discussing the Poso and Ambon conflicts. He emphasised\nthat Christian teachings never justify killing as a path to heaven.<\/p>\n
Additionally, on 14 April, a similar report emerged from North\nSumatra. Several organisations under the North Sumatra Civil Society\nAlliance also reported JK to the North Sumatra Police Headquarters with\nallegations of blaspheming religious teachings.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai encouraged resolving\nthe polemic through dialogue, not the legal route.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Human Rights Minister, I disagree with the police report against\nMr JK. I firmly reject it. To be honest, there is no benefit to it\neither,\u201d said Pigai as quoted by Antara on Wednesday (15\/4).<\/p>\n
The Poso conflict in Central Sulawesi occurred around 1998-2001. The\ncommunal riots are often viewed as conflicts with religious nuances.\nHowever, the root causes are said to involve economic disparities, local\npolitical competition, and the impact of transmigration programmes that\naltered the region\u2019s demographics.<\/p>\n
In 2001, JK, then serving as Coordinating Minister for People\u2019s\nWelfare in President Megawati Soekarnoputri\u2019s cabinet, led the mediation\nprocess in Malino, South Sulawesi. As a Sulawesi figure, JK successfully\npushed for the Malino I Declaration after gathering conflicting Islamic\nand Christian leaders to agree on peace.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Ambon conflict was a communal riot that began from\nindividual disputes and quickly escalated into a religious-tinged storm\nin Maluku province around 1999 to 2002.<\/p>\n
JK, at that time Coordinating Minister for People\u2019s Welfare, gathered\nIslamic and Christian leaders from Ambon for mediation in Malino. The\nresult was the peace agreement or Malino II Declaration on 12 February\n2002.<\/p>\n
In response to the buzz around JK\u2019s lecture, the administrator of the\nUGM Campus Mosque YouTube channel conveyed a message through a pinned\ncomment starting Monday (12\/4).<\/p>\n
\u201cDear congregation, we earnestly request that you watch the video in\nfull, not just the circulating clips. Often, incomplete excerpts can\ncause misunderstandings because the context of the discussion is not\nproperly conveyed,\u201d wrote the admin in the comment section.<\/p>\n
CNNIndonesia.com obtained permission from the Chairman of the UGM\nMosque Takmir, Muhammad Yusuf, to quote the content of that comment.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us act fairly in assessing something, by viewing it\ncomprehensively before drawing conclusions or spreading it further. If\nfurther clarification is needed, please contact the relevant parties\ndirectly. Thank you for your attention and wisdom,\u201d it concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jk-on-poso-and-ambon-those-slandering-me-werent-there-1776513051", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }