TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hate speech group Saracen has made the government livid since it spread contents attacking the Jokowi administration.
Jokowi told reporters in Jakarta that he had instructed Police chief Tito Karnavian to probe Saracen. “Including those who fund and place an order,” he said. Pressed about the possible involvement of a retired general in the case, Jokowi said: “Investigate whoever places an order.”
The Police cracked down on the Saracen network and its coordinator Faizal Muhammad Tonong on July 21. Aside from the Faizal, the police have also arrested Saracen chairman Jasriadi, group coordinator West Java chapter Sri Rahayu Ningsih, and Ropi Yastman, administrator of a Facebook group called “Keranda Jokowi-Ahok” (Coffin of Jokowi-Ahok) which is affiliated with the hate speech group.
Some 800,000 Facebook accounts are affiliated with Saracen, according to the police. But the group chairman had denied the claim. “I hacked a lot of accounts, but not 800,000, only 150ish,” he said.
Read: Fight Hate Speech in Social Media, Central Java Governor Says
One day before the arrest, Faizal uploaded a meme accusing Police chief Tito Karnavian as the man behind the tension between the Nahdlatul Ulama paramilitary wing Banser and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI). On July 20, Faizal posted a meme of President Joko Widodo. The caption says: "2019 udah ga laku, jelas anti Islam pro PKI serta banyak ingkar janji". (No one will vote for him in 2019, he is anti-Islam and pro-PKI [the Indonesian Communist Party that has been declared illegal] and he breaks a lot of promises).
Faizal admitted that he also posted contents on “212 act” (rally against former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok held on December 2, 2016). “On Facebook, I promoted the 212 act,” he told Tempo while beating his chest.
Saracen chairman Jasriadi said that he supported presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto from Gerindra Party in 2014 election. “We are Pak Prabowo’s sympathizers. I hacked accounts that had crossed the line by attacking Islam and Pak Prabowo,” he said.
Gerindra chairman Sodik Mudjahid has denied the party’s links to Saracen. He said that Gerindra’s officials came from different backgrounds. “It’s impossible to play with SARA [ethnicity and religious issues] and also hate speech. Saracen is more dangerous than terrorists,” he said.
HUSSEIN ABRI DONGORAN | ARKHELAUS WISNU | ISTMAN MP
