Minister:394,250 Organizations in Indonesia, Some Violate Laws

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said that public organizations required special attention from the government in the last year of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and VP Jusuf Kalla administration. Tjahjo called on ministries and other institutions to provide special attention to the issue.

Tjahjo said that government institutions must be concerned about the purpose and activity of public organizations. Every social organization must comply with the ideology of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. The government must take firm actions if an organization proved to violate laws and regulations.

"This is our duty together to take a side, who is the friend or foe, towards attempts of groups who try to replace Pancasila and 1945 Law and destruct the Unitary State of Republic of Indonesia (NKRI)," Tjahyo stated on Thursday, Oct 25.

Tjahjo mentioned that as many as 394,250 public organizations existed throughout the country, either in the central, province, district, or city level. The ministry found some of those are organizations that violate state policy. According to Tjahjo, the Attorney-General's Office (AGO) must raise concerns on the activity of such groups.

Other law enforcement agencies, including the police, were also obliged to remind any public organization who showed antipathy to the state ideology and violate the law. If an organization is proved to have another agenda such as planning to replace Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution or threaten the nation's diversity, the government would be obliged to disband it.

VINDRY FLORENTIN