Citing Security Concerns, Police Cancel Hizbut Tahrir Event in Bogor

Jakarta. The Bogor Police have cancelled the International Caliphate Forum 1438 organized by the Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, or HTI, scheduled for Sunday (23/04) at the Az Zikra Mosque in Sentul, Bogor, West Java.

Bogor Police chief Sr. Comr. Adj. A.M. Dicky said in a statement that security requirements were not fulfilled by the organizers of the event that was expected to host at least 500 participants.

"We acted in accordance with standard operating procedures, which require a proposal for an event involving many people to be submitted a week in advance. We did not receive it until now, therefore we had to cancel it," Dicky said on Sunday.

He added that a police permit for this kind of events is required to ensure they run smoothly.

"This is not [because of] the event or [its] committee. The cancellation was related only to the permit required to maintain public order," Dicky said.

Earlier, the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama's youth wing Ansor in Bogor, Rachmat Imron Hidayat, denounced the HTI forum, claiming it was against the unity of Indonesia, as it could be seen as an effort to establish an Islamic state.

"Our sate is based on Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution and Bhineka Tunggal Ika ['unity in diversity']. [...] HTI has been recognized as a mass organization that seeks to overthrow the government by establishing a caliphate in Indonesia," he said.(Jakarta Globe)

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