Buzzer Polemic in Indonesian Democracy

The buzzer polemic used by the government to ward off criticism has resurfaced
after a statement from the spokesman for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Fadjroel
Rachman. He denied the government used buzzers on social media to attack its
critics.
"The government is never afraid of criticism. Criticism is the heart of democracy,"
said Fadjroel when contacted by IDN Times , Thursday (11/2/2021).
A similar statement was made by the Chief of Presidential Staff (KSP) Moeldoko. In
fact, at that time Moeldoko said that the existence of buzzers was very detrimental to
the Jokowi government. Therefore, he wants buzzers to be put in order so as not to
disturb democracy.
Drone Emprit social media analyst Ismail Fahmi spoke about the dangers of using
buzzers for the democratic climate in Indonesia. According to him, the buzzers are
very likely to cover up problems that should be resolved by the government.
"The purpose of using the buzzer is to direct the conversation and public opinion.
Now, if the information has been directed, the public will no longer know what is true,
because the information distributed has been modified. The danger is that the public
may not know what big problems are happening in Indonesia, ”Fahmi told IDN
Times , last Sunday, October 6, 2019