Police Arrested Offering Offering Kicker In Lumajang, Gun Romli: If Not Handled Properly Can Trigger Conflict

Thrown away offerings in Lumajang (Catch amateur video on Twitter)

JAKARTA - A bearded man who went viral kicking an offering in Lumajang, East Java some time ago was finally arrested by the police. Without a fight, the man with the initials FH was escorted by officers for questioning.

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) activist Mohamad Guntur Romli also opened his voice over the arrest of FH. Through his official Twitter (@GunRomli), Gun Romli--his nickname-- said that the kicking case was not about offerings.

"It's not about the offerings, but insulting other religious beliefs in a degrading manner, harassing them in a demonstrative manner," Gun Romli tweeted as seen by VOI, Friday, January 14.

Gun Romli added that cases like this must be handled quickly and appropriately by the police because they have the potential to cause inter-religious conflicts in Indonesia.

"If not handled properly, it can trigger inter-religious conflicts in Indonesia," tweeted Gun Romli.

The Head of Public Relations of the Yogyakarta Police, Kombes Yuliyanto, said in a written statement in Yogyakarta, Friday, that the arrest of a person who was reported to the East Java Police for throwing offerings in the Mount Semeru area occurred around 23.00 WIB.

"The person concerned is secured on the road in the Banguntapan sub-district," Yuliyanto said as quoted by Antara, Friday, January 14.

When the arrest was made, which was backed up by the DIY Regional Police team and led by the Director of the Ditreskrimum Polda DIY, Kombes Ade Ary Syam Indradi, there was no resistance from the perpetrators.

Together with East Java Regional Police personnel, the police then took FH to the Banguntapan Police Station for initial questioning.

"After initial questioning at the Banguntapan Police, the man was taken to the East Java Regional Police in a safe condition," said Yuliyanto.

Previously, a video of a person wearing a black vest cursing the use of offerings in the Mount Semeru area. In the video, he throws offerings in front of him, some even being kicked by the man.