Law Enforcement Must be Upheld to Counter Hoaxes: President Jokowi

President Jokowi is about to lead a Limited Meeting on Thursday (29/12), at the Presidential Office, Jakarta

There are 132 million active internet users in Indonesia, or around 52 percent out of Indonesia’s total population. Moreover, 129 million out of the total users have active social media accounts and spend approximately 3.5 hours a day to use internet via their mobile phones, President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo explained.

The rapid development of information technology, the President added, should really be guided and used for positive purposes, for the sake of the development of the nation, for broadening horizon, spreading the values of positivism, optimism, hard working, integrity and honesty, tolerance and peace, solidarity and nationality. “Social media must be developed for productive activities, to boost creativity and innovation, and improve people’s prosperity,” President Jokowi said in his remarks in a Limited Meeting on Anticipation of Social Media Development on Thursday (29/12), at the Presidential Office, Jakarta.

However, the President further said, we have to realize that information technology also bring negative impact to the people, for example lately there are many disturbing and cornering news that considered to bring conflict are spreading. “There are hate speech, harsh statements, as well as defaming and provoking statements,” the President said.

They also used harsh words such as “kill”, “slaughter”, “hang”. That is not our culture and personality, President Jokowi firmly said. Therefore, the President asked people not to waste their energy on such matters.

The President also wanted law enforcement to be upheld. “We must evaluate online media that deliberately posts false news without clear sources, using provocative titles, and containing defamation,” the President said.

Moreover, President Jokowi also gave instruction to conduct massive movement to literate, educate, as well as to maintain good ethics and manners in using social media. “This movement is considered important to invite netizens to take part in a campaign on how to build good, ethical, positive, productive communication in social media that is based on the values of our culture,” the President added.

The limited meeting were also attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reforms Asman Abnur, Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna H. Laoly, Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, Attorney General Prasetyo, Head of National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, and Deputy Chief of Indonesian National Police (Polri) Com. Gen. Suhardi Alius. (DND/FID/DNS/ES) (RAS/LW/YM/Naster)