Jakarta (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD urged people to not be provoked by various clips depicting the situation in Wadas Village, Purworejo District, Central Java, being widely circulated on social media.
The minister deemed that the clips showing the unpleasant treatment meted out by officers to the residents of Wadas Village were a form of framing to trigger a negative public opinion.
“The government urges the public to not be provoked and to entrust the resolution of this problem to the government,” Mahfud noted here on Wednesday.
The minister remarked that the information gathered during a meeting with several related officials showed there were no incidents of officers transporting residents forcibly as seen in the clips circulating on social media.
Mahfud conducted two meetings, the first being with the National Human Rights Commission, while the second was with the main officials of the National Police Headquarters, National Defense Force Headquarters, Home Affairs Ministry, Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, the Central Java Police chief, the Diponegoro Military Commander, and the Central Java District Headquarters.
“The Police, BIN, and BAIS have the means to find out. That is all framing and fake,” he emphasized.
The minister explained that some people got into a quarrel but evaded police arrest and ran to a resident’s house.
“Yes, they were moved from a resident’s house. Hence, they were not forced to leave their houses but were transported, as he had gone to a resident’s house. Such a crowd might cause (the apparatus) to take firm action that cannot be avoided,” Mahfud explained.
However, the minister confirmed to no shootings having taken place when the police were making efforts to maintain order in Wadas Village.
Mahfud stated that the conflict in Wadas actually emerged between community groups that were either supporting or against the andesite mining in the village.
Some 70 officers from the Regional Office of the National Land Agency (BPN) of Central Java and the Agriculture Service of Central Java Province, Tuesday, February 8, attempted to measure the land area and count the plants in the area which were set as the andesite mining location by some residents.
No less than several hundred personnel from the police force, public order officers, and national defense force tagged along with the National Land Agency Team to conduct land surveying activities.
However, residents, who rejected the activity, protested, and a riot ensued.
In an amateur video circulating on social media, Monday, February 7, several police officers were seen surrounding residents and arresting several people from their homes.
However, the police were only striving to maintain order, as chaos had broken out between community groups rejecting and supporting andesite mining in Wadas Village.
Source: Antara News