TEMPO.CO, Samarinda - Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin asserted that persecution is an act against the law. Therefore, Lukman called on the public to refrain from persecuting others.
“Persecution is inhumane,” Lukman said when opening a national work meeting of the Indonesian Maitreya Buddhist Pandita Council (Mapanbumi) in Samarinda on Friday, June 2, 2017.
Recently, a number of people, particularly social media users were persecuted by a certain group. Damar Juniarto, regional coordinator of the South East Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) said that persecution has been practiced based on a reason of defending ulemas and religions.
Data from SAFEnet reveals that as many as 59 people or social media users across the country had their identities published in order to make them as persecution targets. Victims were intimidated and forced to issue an apology in relation to their contents posted on social media.
“Persecution is against the law. We must avoid persecution,” Lukman suggested.
SAPRI MAULANA