JAKARTA – The Reyog Ponorogo Community (KRP) met with Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi to question the Reyog Ponorogo burning incident at the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao - Philippines. Foreign Minister Retno, who received it, immediately clarified and asked reyog lovers to exercise restraint.

According to Deputy Chairperson of the Reyog Ponorogo Community (KRP) Suparno Nojeng, the meeting took place Monday (9/11) starting at 14.00 – 15.00 in the Foreign Minister's Meeting Room, Jalan Pejambon 6, Central Jakarta. KRP conveyed several things, among others, asking for a "clarification" press release issued by the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao City, Republic of the Philippines, Saturday, October 31, 2015 (without any signature and issuing official) full of irregularities, such as the year 1988 assets.

"We also question the team formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the incident, as conveyed by the Director of Information and Media, Siti Shofia Sudarma on Monday 2 November 2015 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said Suparno in a release received by the editors, Monday night.
According to him, currently it is necessary to escort the team formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that it runs in an open, transparent and honest manner. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' sensitivity to this incident is eagerly awaited by Reyog activists and lovers.
In his opinion, this incident must be resolved legally (both criminal and civil) so that the "intellectual actor" is revealed. "Protection and security guarantees for Indonesian citizens in Davao, especially Indonesian citizens who have exposed this incident," he said, adding that the news of the burning of reyog had made the atmosphere hot, especially in Ponorogo.
Calming Reyog Lovers
Meanwhile, said Suparno, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi who was accompanied by the Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy, Esti Andayani, conveyed several things. "Among them, asking the KRP to calm the reaction of the people who love Reyog, and understand the spiritual atmosphere of reyog lovers and no attempt to disrespect culture because it has been inherent in diplomats," he quoted the Foreign Minister as saying.
It was also said that the Foreign Minister had received information from the Consulate General Eko Hartono that the riog property had been damaged and there were instructions to immediately replace it. Also, an internal audit was carried out by the Consulate General in Davao, while an external audit was carried out by the Inspectorate General, in the form of a team to find out what actually happened at the Consulate General in Davao, the progress and results will be open and accessible to the public.
It was also emphasized that the principle of presumption of innocence must still be put forward against the reyog burning incident. The Foreign Minister also guaranteed that Indonesian citizens in Davao City who reported incidents of reyog burning, nothing would happen, let alone violence.
On that occasion, continued SUparno, the KRP handed over files such as photos of the reyog burning procession, photos of reyog artists who appeared at the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao in 2005, copies of the KJRI clarifications, copies of statements of apology from the Indonesian Consulate General staff, names of people who must be examined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Team, and other files