Jahar Gultom
KUCHING: Racial tension between the Dayak community and Indonesian non-governmental organisation (NGO) Front Pembela Islam (FPI) in West Kalimantan, Indonesia is merely a hoax, said Indonesian Consul-General in Kuching Jahar Gultom.
According to him, a video and photographs which have gone viral on social media were in fact taken from an incident which occurred many years ago.
“The video and pictures that spread through social media was from the past. It’s a hoax actually. It is peaceful in Kalimantan and there were actually hundreds of people who came to Pontianak to celebrate Gawai recently,” he told reporters when met at the Indonesian Consulate here yesterday.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that during the Gawai celebration in Pontianak, there was a parade between the Dayak community and FPI.
“However, there was no physical incident between them and, in fact, both of them respected one another. So what has been spread on social media is entirely false,” he reiterated, adding that the police and military were on standby at the time.
Asked on whether the culprit who spread the video had been identified, Jahar said the police were still investigating the matter.
He also gave his assurance that Pontianak is safe to visit and the Dayak community from Malaysia there are all safe.
On May 20, a video and photograph depicting racial conflict between FPI and the Dayak community in West Kalimantan during a parade in conjunction with Gawai celebration went viral.