REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG -- Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has expressed his support to the Indonesian Police in handling hoax and hate speech on the social media. He supported the measures taken by the Indonesian Police.
"We support police efforts in eradicating whoever, group, individuals who have intentions to divide the public by disseminating news defaming others," Minister Kumolo said here, Saturday evening.
He lauded the police for being responsive and fast in tackling the problems, and the police's plan to set up a task force to counter hoax on the social media.
"It must be dealt with. There are laws and regulations. the social media must be used for communication and exchange of true information," he added.
The public could use the social media to criticism, but it must be no insult, condemnation, nor slander.
The Home Affairs Ministry in cooperation with the police, is committed to eradicating fake news, particularly those that harm the national unity, according to him.
Meanwhile, the Cyber Troops of the Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) arrested a resident of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), with initials KJ (40), for allegedly spreading hate speech and bringing humiliation to President Joko Widodo through his Facebook social media account.
Head of Public Relations of NTB Regional Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner, Tri Budi Pangastuti, stated in Mataram on Saturday that KJ was arrested early morning on Friday (March 2), while he was in Gili Trawangan, Winner subdistrict, North Lombok District.
Early on Friday morning, around 01.30 local time, the cyber team from Bareskrim of the Indonesian National Police (Polri), assisted by our team from NTB Regional Police, arrested KJ alias Among in Gili Trawangan," Pangastuti, who was contacted by reporters in Mataram on Saturday, stated.
Currently, KJ is said to have been taken to the Police Headquarters in Jakarta to undergo further examination process at the Crime Directorate of the Bareskrim.
Also read: Police arrest six administrators of Family Muslim Cyber Army
In late February 2018, the Baresktrim has arrested four suspects of cyber crime in four different cities, namely Jakarta, Bangka Belitung, Jembrana and Sumedang (West Java).
The Director of Cyber Crime of Indonesian Police, Brig Gen Fadil Imran said here on Feb 27, the four suspects were members of Muslim Cyber Army (MCA) who joined a group of Whatsapp application called "The Family MCA".
The police investigation has gathered evidences that the Family MCA frequently spread several provocative issues such as on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), news about assaults on Islamic prominent figures, and defamation against the President as well as the Government, on the social media, particularly Whatsapp.
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