TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Acting Jakarta Governor Sumarsono, stated that Jakarta officials have already brought down at least 651 provocative banners from a number of areas in Jakarta. AS much as 165 banners were removed from West Jakarta, 155 banners from Central Jakarta, 138 banners from North Jakarta, 104 banners from South Jakarta, and 7 banners from the Thousand Islands.
"I express my appreciation to every member of the Satpol PP [civil service police unit] in taking down banners. And we will continue to curb them as long as they still exist," Sumarsono said at the City Hall on Monday, March 20, 2017.
Sumarsono said that officials have taken a number of steps to prevent the further incidents, one of it is by issuing Circular Letter No. 7 of 2017. The letter contains an appeal for society to preserve public stability, security, and order.
Sumarsono stated that their actions are based on prevailing laws and regulations, which is why the Satpol PP has the authority to curb banners that are considered to violate the laws. The law mentioned by Sumarsono was Law No. 7 of 2012 on Social Conflict Mitigation, and Law No. 40 of 2008 on Eradication of Discrimination and Racism.
"Any type of banners without a permit must be brought down. Secondly, it also applies to banners with permits but were placed at the wrong location," Sumarsono said. Acting Governor Soni is referring to Law No. 7 of 2012 regarding social conflict policing and Law No. 40 of 2008 regarding the eradication of discrimination and race.
"To be clear, as Acting Governor, I urge [members] of Satpol PP to approach the issue [persuasively]. If it's possible, [the people] should be taking down the banner themselves. Authorities will be forced to take the provocative banners down with if they refuse to do so," Sumarsono explained.
LARISSA HUDA