TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police (Polri) decided to revoke a Police Chief circular instructing their members to limit the involvement of mass media in the activities of internal police media.

Polri spokesperson Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono on Tuesday said the police chief’s instruction was revoked because of the public misunderstanding, even though the circular blatantly mentioned that it was addressed to those within the police institution.

“The telegram was an internal affair which aimed to instruct those who carry out regional public relations functions,” said Hartono at the police headquarters in South Jakarta on April 6.

The police failed to expect the backlash from the public regarding the contents within the instruction and how it would affect the work of journalism.

“Polri greatly respects the tasks of our friends in the field of journalism, however, the process has caused various interpretations. And this is why the Police Main Headquarters (Mabes Polri) produced the TR 759 with contents that annul those mentioned in the TR 750 (the initial circular that caused the polemic),” he said.

Reported earlier, the national police chief issued a circular that firmly instructed every police internal media unit not to bring media personnel outside of the institution in any police raids.

Read: Police Chief Prohibits Mass Media from Airing Arrests Live

ANDITA RAHMA