Activist Dandhy Laksono Reported to Police over Facebook Post

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Activist Dandhy Laksono has been reported to police by Repdem East Java, an affiliate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), over a Facebook post. The organization has accused the activist of defaming and spreading hatred against the PDIP chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Joko Widodo.

“We view that there was an attempt to shape public opinion that Megawati has similarities with Aung San Suu Kyi in the context that [they] prefer violence in their governing style,” Repdem East Java chairman Abdi Edison said yesterday, Sept. 6.

Abdi said that Dandhy’s Facebook status on September 3 was rather tendentious. “It’s dangerous. If we do nothing, younger generations would think that Ibu Mega administration [in 2001-2004] is similar to that of Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said.

According to him, Dandhy tried to take advantage of the prosecution of the Rohingyas by the Myanmar government by insulting and spreading hate speech against former Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Joko Widodo over the handling of Papua issue.

Dandhy wrote in a Facebook status that the number of arrests in Papua has risen to 1,083 after Jokowi—endorsed by Megawati’s PDIP—took office and compare his governance style with Aung San Suu Kyi’s.

Repdem East Java has, therefore, filed a police report. “We want to defend the dignity of our chairwoman.”

Rights activist Dandhy Laksono did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NUR HADI