This Saturday marks the one year anniversary of the massive hardliner-led protest that, arguably, sealed the fate of former Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and assured current Governor Anies Baswedan’s election victory.
But Governor Anies doesn’t want to talk about it.
Asked about the plans by the “alumni” of the December 2 (212) protest to hold a huge anniversary event this Saturday and whether they had the government’s permission to hold it at Jakarta’s National Monument (Monas), Governor Anies simply told the media yesterday (as quoted by Kompas), “That is not my business.”
Anies was asked about whether he had given his permission for the event after Jakarta Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono told reporters to ask the Jakarta administration about whether the 212 anniversary event organizers had officially been given permission to use Monas. Argo said that the organizers had alerted the police, who have prepared to secure the event should it take place at Monas, but said that permission for the event was the responsibility of the administration. Previously police had recommended the event take place at nearby Istiqlal Mosque due to security concerns.
When asked about whether the government had given permission for the 212 reunion event to take place at Monas, Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno said that the governor is the one who should respond to that question.
“Later, Pak Anies will answer,” Sandiaga said yesterday as quoted by Okezone.
And, of course, we already know how Anies answered.
The ridiculous game of political hot potato, in which nobody apparently wants to admit they bear responsibility for the 212 reunion event at Monas, was beautifully illustrated in this tweet by @ino_cents captioned “Jakarta, in four acts”.
Jakarta, yaelah dalam 4 babak: pic.twitter.com/eCme6X1mwF
— Eh (@ino_cents) November 27, 2017
It’s fairly obvious why Anies and Sandiaga don’t want to acknowledge or take responsibility for the 212 anniversary. Anies was heavily criticized for courting extremists like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and taking advantage of the politicized blasphemy charges against Ahok (usually indirectly, except that time he spoke alongside FPI leader Rizieq Shihab while addressing his infamous organization).
Anies failed to show up for a smaller anti-Ahok protest anniversary event earlier this month, leading Rizieq’s lawyer, Eggy Sudjana, to complain that it was like Anies was “just using us” to win the election.
Given that and his lack of comment on the 212 anniversary, it seems unlikely that Anies will show up at the event this Saturday. However, he did recently overturn a regulation set by Ahok prohibiting any religious or political events from taking place at Monas, which was seen by many as a gift to the 212 alumni so they could hold their reunion there (they thanked him for that and said his and Vice Governor Sandiaga’s invitations were in the mail).
The stakes are quite high for the governor either way. If he doesn’t accept the invite to the 212 reunion, he risks upsetting the hardliners who helped him get in office. If he attends, he’ll be seen as further appeasing them and his manipulation of religious sentiment for political power will be made even more transparent.
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