Dividing the Nation, Who is the "Main Actor" and for What Purposes?

Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo reiterated that the country must close ranks to maintain unity because there were indications that external parties were attempting to divide the nation. "We have to be aware of 'invincible hands' that are designing efforts to weaken our nation," he said at the 'Indonesianisme Summit' discussion held in Jakarta.

Providing an example, Gatot said there were some people who currently wanted to exploit Muslim groups' anger against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who was named a blasphemy suspect last month, to overthrow President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

On Nov. 20, fake news spread on the internet claiming that Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab had been hospitalized after being beaten by a member of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad). The FPI jointly organized two massive rallies in Jakarta on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 to push for the prosecution of Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, who allegedly made a blasphemous comment about a Quranic verse during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September.

Investigations by law-enforcement agencies, however, found that the sources of the fake news were internet portals in Australia and the United States, Gatot said.

Cases like this, he said, had to be dealt with in the spirit of unity, by upholding the national philosophy of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika - Unity in Diversity.
 
"If there is no Islam, it is not Indonesia; if there is no Christianity, it is not Indonesia; if there is no Hinduism, it is not Indonesia; if there is no Buddhism; it is not Indonesia," he said.

Who is "the main actor"?
    
In the global era and information edge recently, many actors can play more actions to destroy a nations. Basically, we can separate them at two categories such as state-actors and non-state actors. State actors could be a promotor to disturb other states national security specially to get purposes which set up by state-actors.

Usually, a state-actors are using "proxy war" agent to realize their intention through  "a secret operation" and if its blew-up, they would be denied. It is a normal, because the involvement of state to interference other state authority and dignity is a diplomatic ties violence and its a part of an international criminal acts.
    
In the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyone tenure, we were readed a news about a rumours that Australian spy agencies or Australian government had tapped Indonesian high rank officer's cell phones including SBY's cellphones, but Australian embassy in Indonesia were denied that their spy agencies or others had been tapped Indonesian high rank officers cellphones. Public didn't know about "the clarification" is true or fake, but all of us can interpretation that as "a state-actors" closed operations.
    
In the era of Indonesia's old regime, we can learn from a number of a historical books about "a state-actors hidden operations".
 Even, the fall of Soekarno's regime is triggered those acts which used an uncertainty situation in Indonesia including the rise of Indonesia Communist Party (PKI) influences and their hegemonies at domestic politic progress. Those situation was disturbed western state which was led by the United States to make "an intelligence operation" through "CIA-agent" in the level all of national circles to create "a political and security insurgency" which made Soekarno's regime ended. The main purpose is to minimalize even to erase communist domination in the old regime era.
    
Actually, knowledge and technology progress have indicated with various tools in social media should be educated everyone, to strengthened national integrity and national hospitality, and its could be as civic discussion tools, but recently on the progress in Indonesia, social media has been used as provocative media, media which was hoax circulated rather than a media which is as positive literating to citizens. If its happens, its isn't suprises if a various cirles have been a question about state readiness to handle those problem which carried out by social media or with other word do we have a grand narrative or grand design to face "propaganda war and the struggle for influence in social media"?.
    
Social media users in Indonesia is amazing ones, because from 259,1 million Indonesian people, approxicimately 34% are active as user, 88,1 million are an active using an internet, 79 million are an active using social media, dan 66 million are using cellphone. Even, a new political party in Indonesia is an active using sosial media as their socialization tools. A number of pundit has said Indonesia was entering cyber war (from various sources). I think whose are misusing social media to deliver hate-speech, bigotry etc could be named as "main actor" in the era of an information edge like this.
 
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 political and security researcher. Resides in West Sumatera.