Jakarta: National Police spokesman High Commissioner Prasetyo said on Tuesday (5/3) that China has never asked National Police to ban the Falun Gong movement in Indonesia nor to arrest and of the movement’s followers.
Prasetyo went on to explain that the National Police have not take any special action against the Falun Gong movement in Indonesia.
So far, based on National Police observations, the Falun Gong movement and its members have never violated any Indonesian law.
“If they are deemed guilty of having broken any laws, then it must be Chinese laws, not Indonesian ones,” he said.
According to Prasetyo, the police will take action against the Falun Gong movement if it is proved to have violated any Indonesian law, such as forming a new sect.
Regarding the recently banned Falun Gong rally, Prasetyo said it was merely a small incident.
“The rally was not in accordance with the scheduled program,” he said. At the time, according to Prasetyo, Falun Gong followers had said they would be going sports activities but when they gathered, they displayed banners criticizing certain groups.
As previously reported by TEMPO News Room, on Sunday (3/3) the police suddenly forbade Falun Gong parade at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout.
The program that was to have been held on Sunday evening at the Le Meridien Hotel was also cancelled.
Prasetyo explained that there are still a few members of the Falun Gong movement in Indonesia but there is no need to worry because their numbers are very small and “the National Police keeps monitoring the group members,” he said. (Retno Sulistyowati-Tempo News Room)