Dian Intannia, Jakarta – If before they were being criticised, now scores of demonstrators have gone to the Indonesian police headquarters to support them. The demonstrators are of the view that the condemnations against police are a rotten conspiracy to sow discord in the nation.

The support came from scores of people calling themselves the World Peace Committee (Komite Perdamaian Dunia, KPD) during a demonstration at police headquarters on Jalan Trunojoyo in Jakarta on Monday May 10.

KPD coordinator Edo said that the group agrees that the various cases of [police] violence should be fully resolved. However added Edo, all parties must take a balanced view of these cases.

“Don’t just corner the police. The anarchistic students must also be dealt with by the law. I want to point out that the is an underground conspiracy which aims to sow discord in the nation by vilifying the Indonesian police force”, said Edo.

The majority of KPD demonstrators were young people aged between 10 and 20 years old. Other than listening when their leaders gave speeches they did little. A number of them even moved away from the group.

Like other demonstrations, the KPD demonstrators also brought a number of posters and banners including ones which read “The police belong to all of us”, “Beware of elements wanting to sow discord in the nation” and “Channel [your] aspirations peacefully”. (djo)

[Translated by James Balowski.]