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12/21/2025
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Cianjur, koranpelita.co — The Head of the National Unity and Politics Agency (Kesbang) of Cianjur Regency, H. Amad Mutawali S.ag.S.ip emphasized that freedom of expression in public is a citizen’s right that is protected by law.
Regional governments, he said, have an obligation to facilitate and minimize the potential for conflict so that the delivery of aspirations can proceed in an orderly and conducive manner.
“Speaking of freedom of expression, it is clearly protected by law. We at Kesbang have a responsibility to address this issue: building communication to prevent escalating conflicts and minimize them,” he said on Friday (December 19, 2025).
According to him, demonstrations are a common occurrence in a democracy. In fact, they are part of the government’s role in serving and safeguarding public aspirations.
“If there’s a demonstration, that’s our job. If there’s no demonstration, we don’t have a job there. So, there’s no problem with demonstrations being held to express aspirations and exercise social control,” he explained.
However, he emphasized that expressing opinions must be done ethically and not in an anarchic manner. The government, he continued, must maintain a balanced stance by maintaining an open space for dialogue.
“The important thing is that the expression of aspirations is not anarchic and does not lead to further problems. We minimize the risk of public expression and ensure that opinions are conveyed ethically. If an audience is possible, an audience is possible. If not, we can have a friendly discussion,” he said.
Regarding the potential for friction between community groups, the Head of the National Unity and Development Agency (Kesbang) stated that his agency always takes anticipatory measures through cross-agency coordination. One example was the response to the Ahmadiyah group’s activities in the Cibeber area from several Islamic community organizations.
“We anticipated this because there was opposition from Islamic organizations. We’ve coordinated with the Ahmadiyah community so their activities won’t last more than three days. This demonstrates the government’s firm stance,” he stressed.
He stated that the handling of the problem was carried out comprehensively by involving various parties, starting from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Cianjur Regency, the MUI of Cibeber District, Islamic community organizations, to elements of the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) such as the Prosecutor’s Office, the Police, and Bakorpakem.
“We can’t solve this alone. There needs to be coordination to prevent this problem from escalating,” he said.
According to him, the conflict that occurred was generally triggered by a lack of communication and coordination between the parties involved. However, after dialogue and clarification, the situation returned to normal.
“It’s precisely because communication hasn’t been established that clashes occur. After we explained and established coordination, I think they understand,” he concluded. (Cep/ Man Suparman)
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Human Rights, Indonesia, religious freedom