TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Still wanted by the police, that night Hatta Taliwang made a bold statement. "Do you mean that the police are unable to arrest me?" said Hatta in a discussion with Tempo in Central Jakarta. "They reported I was in hiding." However, during the one-hour interview last week, Hatta never took off his hat which concealed his face.

The police placed Hatta on their wanted list after arresting 11 activists and political figures on December 2. According to Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan, Hatta is suspected of being involved in planning an insurrection against the government. "If anyone knows where he is, please let us know," said Iriawan.

That night, Hatta repeatedly denied the charges of insurrection. He insisted he was a not a fugitive. "I have not fled. Just ask them," said Hatta, pointing to his six friends nearby. "Yeah, Pak Hatta is here every night," one of them confirmed.

It was 00:15am when Tempo ended the discussion with Hatta. This 63-year-old man said that he was tired. He got ready to return to his rented room at the Bendungan Hilir Apartment in central Jakarta, where he lives alone. His family stays in Bandung. In less than an hour after returning home, a team from the Jakarta Police Department came to arrest him.

Hatta was the 12th person to be arrested on charges of overthrowing the government. "This group planned to occupy the DPR (House of Representatives) and demand that a special session be held to remove the President and Vice President," said Iriawan. "They were riding on the back of the December 2 rally." Iriawan was referring to the demonstration at the National Monument grounds (Monas) on December 2, to protest against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok)'s alleged blasphemous remarks.

The police first became suspicious of a possible treason plot when some of the protesters from the November 4 rally were diverted to the DPR complex. That day, about 250,000 people demonstrated on the main streets around the State Palace in Jakarta. The rally was led by the National Movement of Guardians of the Fatwa of the Indonesian Council of Ulama. This movement was supported by a number of Islamic organizations, such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), the Forum Umat Islam, and the Persatuan Umat Islam.

The protesters called for the police to indict Ahok, currently running for re-election in the February 27, 2017, gubernatorial elect. This mass protest was triggered by a speech Ahok made at the Thousand Islands on September 27. The speech referred to Chapter 5, Verse 51 of the Quran, which some Muslims felt was blasphemous.

After sunset that day, some of the protesters stayed around near the Palace and clashed with police. After the rioting quieted down, not all of the protesters headed home. Some of them moved to the DPR Building in Senayan. "The focus of the demonstration also moved from blasphemy to government failure and to occupy the DPR," said Iriawan. On social media and at discussion groups, rumors spread that the protesters had occupied the parliament complex. "It was as if someone was intentionally diverting the issue and the crowd," said Iriawan.

In mid-November, the Jakarta Police met to evaluate the security deployed for the November 4 protest. At this meeting, the police focused on the appearance of a number of figures who often claim to be nationalists, at the 4-11 protest. For example, there was the third daughter of former Indonesian President Sukarno, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, and former Chief of Staff of the Army Strategic Reserves Command, Kivlan Zen. The police recorded Kivlan's presence on top of a command automobile together with FPI founder Muhammad Rizieq Shihab.

Taufik Budiman, Kivlan Zen's lawyer, confirmed reports that the retired two-star general had a special place in the November 4 rally. "So, if anything happened to Pak Rizieq, such as if he was shot, then Pak Kivlan would take over command," he said.

According to Iriawan, previously, these 'nationalists' had never been seen at demonstrations related to religious issues. This group mostly questioned the government's objectives, which they felt had failed. They often dream of the old days, demanding a return to the original 1945 Constitution, before any amendments were made. "At that point, we suspected there was an attempt to create an insurrection," said Iriawan. "However, the plan was still sketchy."

The police also managed to tap into communication between this 'nationalist' group and hardline Muslims. The police, for instance, observed the arrival of Rachmawati to the 'Consolidation of Community Figures' event held at the Hotel Grand Sahid Jaya, on November 1. At that meeting, this founder of the Pelopor (political) Party, said she was ready to take part in the November 4 protests.

Amid pressure from the wave of protesters, on November 16 the National Police indicted Ahok on charges of blasphemy. However, the leaders of the 4-11 were not satisfied with Basuki being indicted. They called for Ahok to be arrested. According to the police as well as the prosecutor's office, there was no strong legal basis to detain Ahok.

The anti-Ahok movement decided to hold another street protest with even more people. Later, the planned December 2 demonstration was changed to become a Friday congregational prayer on the Monas grounds. Nearly a million people thronged downtown Jakarta.

Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine