The Tragic End of Ratna’s Drama

ANTARA FOTO/GALIH PRADIPTA

A member of Prabowo-Sandiaga\'s campaign team, Ratna Sarumpaet (right), gives clarification regarding the reporting, which claimed that she had been assaulted at Ratna Sarumpaet Residence, Bukit Duri, Jakarta, Wednesday (3/10/2018). During the press conference Ratna Sarumpaet said to have fabricated news about the assault in Bandung, West Java, on September 21, 2018, but in reality she underwent facial surgery.

Ratna Sarumpaet’s latest theatrics, initially constructed through social media and then spread far and wide on mainstream media, have finally ended in an anticlimactic fashion.

This latest “narrative” on Ratna Sarumpaet was truly dramatic. A 70-year-old woman was assaulted by unidentified persons in Bandung, West Java, on Sept. 21, 2018. A scenario was concocted in which the assault occurred after she attended an international conference. The “tall tale” went viral on social media 10 days later. So did her photograph. People condemned the attack on social media. Politicians said harsh words. Emotional and insulting curses were lobbed. Even the House of Representatives and political party leaders joined in the fray.

The police immediately began their investigation. Their findings effectively tore down Ratna’s entire “tall tale” that she has built and nurture on social media. Now, it is the investigation findings’ turn to go viral. Apparently, Ratna was not in Bandung. She was in Jakarta for a plastic surgery. The payment receipt was found. There was no assault whatsoever.

The police statement was a severe blow. In the afternoon, Ratna held a press conference and apologized. She was not assaulted, she said. “I have been the creator of a hoax,” she continued. All of it was just fantasy. Ratna then apologized to presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and senior politician Amien Rais, to whom she had reported her so-called assault.

On Wednesday night, Oct. 3, 2018, Prabowo then apologized for having spread news on something that had yet to be verified. “I do not feel that I am guilty. However, I do admit that I was a bit hasty,” Prabowo told the press conference.

After Ratna’s lies unraveled, many politicians on social media condemned her for lying. All of them publicly apologized for supporting a fantasy. Ratna was later dismissed from the national campaign team of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.

Ratna’s lies, amplified by many politicians, reaffirmed that many have had their common sense weakened or even missing. There was no verification of facts. There was no fact check. This was truly an exemplary incident of the post-truth era, where truth is determined not by data and facts but instead by mere beliefs.

Whenever there is news on social media that is aligned with one’s belief, one will immediately support the news as if it is a hard fact. This is the beginning of the death of common sense. In Ratna’s case, social media had become a perfect medium to spread trashy lies. Politicians will not be able to erase their digital footprints and people will always remember what they did.

We are grateful for the police’s speedy investigation into this “tale”. We could not have imagined what would have come of this if the police failed to uncover the case. Narratives of violence and hatred would have reigned. We appreciate the police for their speedy and comprehensive investigation into this.

The police’s successful investigation into Ratna’s case is worthy of appreciation. The police has proven their capability. It is in this context that we hope the National Police may also accelerate their investigations into other criminal cases, including the assault on Corruption Eradication

Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan, which has been going on for a year with no end in sight.