The North Sumatra Pro-Democracy Movement says that the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono, as well as the rotten political elite, have failed to implement the mandate to end the Indonesian people’s suffering.
“We are calling on SBY and Boediono to step down from their positions”, said North Sumatra Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) litigation coordinator Maruli M. Purba during a break in a North Sumatra Pro-Democracy Movement press conference at the North Sumatra PBHI secretariat on Jl. Sawi Medan on Tuesday January 26. The press conference, which was attended by 34 student groups and non-government organisations (NGO), was held to discuss a protest action that will be held on Thursday January 28.
The North Sumatra Pro-Democracy Movement is an alliance made up of 34 student groups and NGOs including the North Sumatra PBHI, the Witness Protection Coalition (KPS), the North Sumatra People’s Legal Aid and Advocacy Foundation (Bakumsu), the North Sumatra Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the North Sumatra Commission for Missing Persona and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the City Social Worker Group (KKSP), Indonesian Rural Skills Cultivation (Bitra), the Coalition for Aid Transparency (Kotib), the Indonesian Student Union (SMI), the Indonesian Independent Trade Union (SBMI), the North Sumatra Trade Union (SBSU), the Indonesia People’s Movement (GRI), Andalas Political House, the 1965 Committee for the Victims of Human Rights Violations (KKP-HAM 65), Movement Indonesia (Pergerakan Indonesia), the Union for the Politics of the Poor (PPRM), the Indonesia Youth Scouts (SMI), the North Sumatra Indonesian Buskers Union (SPI), the Indonesian Labour Movement Union Preparatory Committee (KP-PPBI), the Research and Development Center Foundation (YPRP), the North Sumatra Women’s Activist Network (Jarak Perempuan), the Association of Women’s Trade Unions (Hapsari), the North Sumatra Security Sector Reform Community (SSRC), the Medan chapter of the Indonesian Independent Union (SMI), the National Students Front (FMN), the Democratic Front (Barsdem), the Pro-Democracy Student Movement (Gemaprodem), the Nias People’s Front (Barani), the Social Action and Discussion Group (KDAS), Music House (Rumah Musik), the Politics for the Poor-National Student League for Democracy (LMND-PRM) and the Medan chapter of the Indonesian Association of Catholic Students (PMKRI).
According to Purba, the planned protest actions calling for Yudhoyono and Boediono to resign are because they had failed to promote change in the country’s fortunes. All of Yudhoyono and Boediono’s policies are policies entrusted to them by capitalists. As a result, there has been no significant change over the last five years, both during the administration of Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla as well as the 100 day program of the Yudhoyono-Boediono administration. “This shockingly demonstrates that the SBY-Boediono administration has failed,” he said.
During the Yudhoyono-Kalla era there was a 100 day program of reform, however by the end of the administration’s term, there had been no change felt by the public, including the problems faced by the people such as the PT. WRP Buana Multi Corpora and the Soechi Hotel employee case. Then there was the enactment of Law No. 25/2007 on Foreign Investment, where the status of employees and workers became that of a slave as a result of the mechanisms of contract labour (outsourcing), enforced days off and arbitrary dismissals.
In the midst of this there is the uncertainty over the Bank Century case that has proven how political power influences legal sovereignty. “This proves that the SBY-Boediono administration has failed to bring about reform in the country. [And] this is just a handful of the problems that the leaders of this country are unwilling to solve,” he said.
Because of this therefore, in addressing the government’s 100 day program, all components of the people and student movement will take to the streets to demand that the president and the vice president resign. The planned actions on Thursday, which will target the North Sumatra Regional House of Representatives and the Governor’s office, are hoped to involve an estimated 10,000 people.
[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski.]
