REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti clarified here on Thursday that the hate speech circular he issued recently was only intended to prevent and minimize possible conflicts caused by the speech.

"The circular is meant for early prevention before a hate speech leads to a criminal action. It is also aimed at minimizing possible conflicts in the field," he noted at the police headquarters.

He admitted that reports of the circular being publicized by various media outlets have created unrest among some quarters, when it actually just contains common directives for police personnel.

"Some have considered it as being capable of violating human rights or as having a hidden agenda of curbing critics and others, when it actually is a regular thing similar to me giving directives to my personnel," he remarked.

Badrodin emphasized that the issuance of the circular was important as his personnel were still unaware of what a hate speech was and ways to handle it.

"I am afraid if the members do not know about them (forms of hate speech), and some of them that should be categorized as violating laws would be considered normal," he pointed out.

With the issuance of the circular, he expressed hope that the police members would conduct early detection and prevent it from spiraling into a bigger conflict.

He said the letter was a mere notice given to police members and was not intended for the community.

"It is not a regulation. There is no new norm there. It is only a notice for police members. It is not intended for the people," he clarified.

General Haiti had issued Circular Number SE/6/2015, dated October 8, 2015, on handling hate speeches and had distributed it to regional police command chiefs for use as reference.

According to the letter, resorting to insults, smearing, blasphemy, provocations, slander, instigation, spreading of lies aimed at provoking discriminatory actions, violence, murder, and social conflicts are categorized as hate speech.

It also states that a hate speech is aimed at instigating and creating hatred towards a certain individual or group in various tribal, religious, faith, racial, inter-group, skin color, ethnicity, gender, disabled, and sexual orientation communities. It also regulates police procedures in handling cases based on hate speech.

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