Questioning Political Actors Behind Nov, 4th Rally Riots

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should have been on a state visit to Australia this week, but instead spent the past two days visiting the country's armed forces and major Islamic organizations in a bid to maintain stability in the country amid public outrage involving blasphemy allegations made against the Jakarta governor.

The President was forced to postpone his visit to Canberra, scheduled for November 6 to 8, after more than 100,000 people took to the streets in Jakarta to demand the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for allegedly insulting the Qur'an.

The Islam Defenders Front (FPI), which strongly opposes Ahok's bid to extend his term through the upcoming Jakarta election, spearheaded the rally, which was supported by various Islamic groups, including the Muslim Students Association (HMI).
 
The rally which initially ran peacefully, turned violent after dark, leaving one protester dead and several police officers injured. Five HMI activists, including its secretary-general, have been charged with instigating the violence. In the past two days, the President has been scrambling to maintain national stability after the Friday rally.

When addressing 2,000 military personnel, Jokowi reminded them that he was the highest military commander and therefore, they should follow his orders to not tolerate any provocations aimed at dividing the nation. Jokowi said that during the closed-door meeting with Muhammadiyah leaders he told them he would not tamper with the ongoing police investigation into Ahok's case.

The President has instructed the National Police to run a fair and transparent investigation into Ahok, but rumors that another large rally would take place in the capital in the next two weeks were already rife. The protesters have said they would continue their protests until Ahok is jailed. The police had promised to decide whether to charge Ahok with blasphemy within two weeks of the rally.

Jokowi has several times sought support from Muhammadiyah and NU for different reasons, including when he was accused of not being Muslim during his presidential campaign in 2014 and also when he was severely criticized for his tough stance on drug convicts.

After assuming office, the President granted a number of positions to figures affiliated with the two organizations, including seats on the Presidential Advisory Board, known as Wantimpres, and in his Cabinet.

On Tuesday, Jokowi reiterated his claim that "political actors" had exploited the November 4 rally, saying that their identities would be revealed after a through investigation by police.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said there was strong information about the suspected political actors who allegedly took advantage of the rally.
"There needs to be sufficient evidence. Once there is and it proves a clear violation occurred, we will enforce the law," said Tito.

The National Police is a big institution with 430,000 personnel. Therefore, do not hesitate to sternly carry out law enforcement," Jokowi said. "A big institution like the police must not be doubtful and discouraged when dealing with small groups, any organizations or any individuals," he added previously.

"I'd like to underline that I will not protect Basuki Tjahaja Purnama since there is already an ongoing legal process over blasphemy allegations; the public needs to know this," Jokowi said.

Who is Political Actors?
    
However, Jokowi's statement about "political actors" behind November 4th, 2016 rally is based on valid data, as the President of Indonesia, Jokowi didn't make slanderous or ridicilous statement, because if Jokowi's makes a blunder statement, its could be trigered national uncertainty.

Previously, November 4th, 2016 mass rally had been ran smoothly and peacefully, then after dark, its had been changed riots and caused one people dead and several ones was dead.

All of national circle was condemmed why peacefully mass rally could be changed riots? Does it reflect political rivalry among higher politicians in Indonesia? or does it shows that in Indonesia has more an exist radicals group?.

This questions is a make sense because the stability of Indonesia is an essential factors to make regional security situation still stable. Because of that, many leaders from various countries had been taken a seriously attention on November 4th, 2016 riots.
    
Recently, a number of politician and politics observer in Indonesia has demanded that Jokowi's to make clear statement about who is a political actors behind mass rallies riots on November 4th, 2016. I think Jokowi couldn't explain it more specifically because its any possibilities that Jokowi's statement on it based on an intelligence data or an intelligence analysis or maybe from a political whistle-blower around him.

We must give Jokowi and his cabinet enough time to resolve this problems, because regardless mass rallies riots which happened on November 4th, 2016, actually, Jokowi and his cabinet performance has been making some prestigious output. Perhaps, its has been caused his political rival to be upset because the good performance of Jokowi's administration along his tenure is a crucial point will be Jokowi reelected at next presidential competition.
    
Back to political actors, I guess that Jokowi has received a strong and valid data from an intelligence communities, but because its as an intelligence facts or an intelligence indication so that its could be used as a law evidence. But, we must believe in Jokowi that he doesn't make a controversial statement about it.
    
I believe in that Jokowi have been instructed his cabinet specially his intelligence communities didn't hasitate to do their jobs professionally. A lesson learn from November 4th, 2016 mass rallies riots that its had been tainted our democracy.

We must learn more from this case. However, we have several crucial lesson from its. First, being admitted or not, we have many radicals groups who have been coalizing with upset political actors.

Second, empowering and boosting nationalistic values among our citizens must be strengthened specially to moslem communities. Third, mass rallies riots has been indicated that our people didn't believe in our law mechanism so that we must do law reformation immediately.

Four, riots has also been shown that a formal and an informal leader in Indonesia have been decreasing their influences on their communities.
 
*) The writer is a Social and Cultural observer. Resides in Bali, Indonesia.