Jakarta – A student alliance protesting at the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) in Jakarta dispersed after conveying five demands related to the assault of a junior high school student with the initials AT by Maluku Regional Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) member Brigadier Mesias Siahaya, which resulted in his death.
According to observations at the location on Friday February 27, the student alliance from the University of Indonesia (UI), the Jakarta Veteran National Development University (UPN) and the Jakarta State Polytechnic began to disperse at around 6:35 pm.
"In the holy month of Ramadan, we are in a place that is unfortunately not sacred, and we are holding a demonstration with the hashtag bastard officers", said UI Student Executive Board (BEM UI) Chairperson Yatalathof Mashum in reading out a statement.
Mashum said the student alliance is demanding the heaviest possible criminal penalties for the police officer who killed AT and all officers involved in repressive acts.
Second, the student alliance is also demanding the removal of National Police Chief (Kapolri) General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and Maluku Regional Police Chief Inspector General Dadang Hartanto from their positions.
In addition to this, they also demanded the release of all criminalised political prisoners, the enforcement of limits on authority and the withdrawal of the National Police (Polri) from civilian positions.
Disappointed at not meeting Kapolri
Finally, they demanded concrete results from structural, cultural and instrumental reforms to the National Police by the Commission for the Acceleration of National Police Reform.
"Today, we, the protesters, were unable to meet with the Kapolri. Even the slightest, we were disappointed once again. Our aspirations that were articulated are no longer being heard by them", he said.
Threat of larger demonstrations
the protesters therefore threatened to hold another larger demonstration at a later time.
"We will return tomorrow with greater strength, in a larger and more massive action. We will transform into a stronger force", he concluded. (tfq/dal)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Mahasiswa Demo Mabes Polri Bubarkan Diri, Sampaikan 5 Tuntutan".]
