Nurdin Abdullah to Summon Muslim Brigade Book Raid

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah stated that he is planning to summon a group calling itself the Indonesian Muslim Brigade (Brigade Muslim Indonesia/BMI) following a Book raid at Gramedia Trans Mall bookstore in Makassar on Saturday, August 3, 2019.

BMI reportedly raided the bookstore after claiming that several books sold there are considered to promote Marxism and Leninism.

"We now plan to summon the organization [BMI]. We want them to know that there are rules [they need to follow] and they cannot act deliberately," said Governor Nurdin Abdullah to Tempo at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) regional headquarter at Jalan Dipenogoro in Jakarta on Monday, August 5, 2019.

Nurdin affirmed that the government will provide an elaboration on the prevailing laws and regulations concerning books circulation in Indonesia and the importance to respect the rule of law.

Reagrding the imposing of sanctions, Nurdin said that it will be discussed as a follow up to the upcoming meeting with BMI. "We'll see, I guess this is a matter of failing to understand a certain rule. We do not wish for it to reoccur," Nurdin explained.

As previously reported, the Indonesian Muslim Brigade confiscated a number of books they considered to promote communism from a major bookstore Gramedia in Makassar. The book raid sparked a public outrage throughout social media and labeled the BMI as vigilantes for acting against the country's freedom of expression.

DEWI NURITA | DIDIT HARIYADI