"I remind the police to not violate the principles of due process of law in their line of work," Asrul Sani, member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III Overseeing Legal Affairs stated in Jakarta on Monday.
The police's law enforcement efforts against those spreading hate speeches and hoaxes related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as violating the government's large-scale social restriction and distancing policies should not fuel new social tensions among members of the public, he cautioned.
Sani drew attention to the national police chief's recent order to police officers across the Indonesia to enforce law against those creating and disseminating COVID-19-related hoaxes and hate speeches as well as those disregarding the government's policies to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 3, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police apprehended 18 people spotted in Central Jakarta for allegedly paying no heed to the policemen's warning of the government's large-scale social restriction and distancing policies to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
Sani believes the police officers should prioritize preventive measures as stipulated in the national police chief's letter number 6 of 2015 before enforcing the law against violators.
The coronavirus pandemic, which initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, has spread to various parts of Indonesia. Jakarta is the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country.
As of Sunday, Indonesia had 2,273 confirmed cases, while death toll from the COVID-19 outbreak had reached 198, while 164 patients were discharged from hospitals after doctors declared they had fully recovered.
In dealing with the ongoing threats of this new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a two-month curfew has been imposed across Aceh Province. The curfew is backed by the Aceh Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda).
"The coronavirus curfew will be effective from March 29 to May 29," spokesperson for the Aceh Provincial Administration, Muhammad Iswanto, stated recently as death toll from the coronavirus pandemic had climbed in Indonesia.
The forum directed community members across Aceh Province to respect the curfew and not venture outdoors between 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. local time.
Those operating businesses, such as coffee shops and cafes, shopping malls, karaoke parlors, food stalls, fitness centers, and public transportation providers, have also been urged to respect the curfew, he added.
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Translator: Imam B, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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