Hanifah Salsabila, Abdul Haris Maulana, Jakarta – A group of students finally managed to hold a demonstration at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle in Menteng, Central Jakarta, after previous attempts had been consistently halted by police barricades.
They arrived at the HI traffic circle at around 2.25 pm traveling in several red public minivans (angkot). Protesters who had arrived earlier on foot cheered as they saw the group successfully reach the vicinity of the HI traffic circle.
The students, who were not wearing their university alma mater jackets, immediacy disembarked from the minivans and ran toward the edge of the pool surrounding the Welcome Monument.
They held up posters and raised three fingers toward the sky, a symbol popularised by The Hunger Games film series as a gesture of resistance against the government.
Posters calling for attention to forest and land fires (karhutla), which also featured quotes from the same film, could be seen among the crowd.
"If we burn, you burn with us", read several of the posters. "Free smoke, critical breathing", "Development is not exploitation" and "Put exploitative corporations on trial" read others.
The protesters also demanded the release of fellow demonstrators who had been detained, voicing this demand through chants and the posters they carried.
"Stop military repression and human rights violations in the Land of Papua", "Free our comrades!" they chanted.
Protesters continued to arrive at HI from various directions. They then marched around the traffic circle voicing their demands and singing songs such as My Homeland (Tanah Airku) and Indonesia, My Precious Heritage (Indonesia Pusaka)..
Plushies as a protest against karhutla
Amidst the crowd of students, an elderly woman named Hardini stood holding a plushie elephant in her right hand.
She wore a headband featuring a panda character, while her left hand held the edge of a piece of fabric printed with images of forests and wildlife.
Hardini, who also carried a long wooden pole topped with a poster protesting forest and land fires, explained that the animal-themed items she brought served as a voice for the wildlife affected by the forest fires. She had specifically printed the fabric with forest imagery to be used as a protest prop.
"Yes, the forests have been mistreated going from beautiful to ruined like this. This is a gift from God, a national asset. Mother Earth is weeping tears of blood seeing this", she said while pointing to the printed images.
Hardini is asking the government to take serious action in addressing the forest and land fires, which have disrupted the lives of wild animals.
"This about saving the forests. A gift to the Indonesian Earth that is being destroyed", she said.
In addition to the small plushie elephant, Hardini's companions also brought other animal plushies, including a tiger and a bird.
Meanwhile, other groups of protesters were held back by police barricades on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman right in front of the UOB Tower and on Jalan Imam Bonjol.
Police Chief meets protesters
As evening approached and the sun set, rain began to fall on the protesters. Some groups dispersed as the downpour intensified.
Others however remained into the night continuing their attempts to push past the police barricade in front of the UOB Tower.
Eventually, Jakarta Metropolitical (Metro Jaya) Police Chief Commissioner General Dadang Hartanto stepped forward to talk to the protesters. Surrounded by a tight security he met with several demonstrators who were still requesting permission to march around the HI traffic circle.
Hartanto however denied the request because it was already late and well past the permitted time for protests, and urged the crowd to disperse.
Several individuals approached Hartanto, who was behind a line of police shields, and said they wanted speak with him directly.
"We are sad and disappointed, sir. We've been taking to the streets for days. Our government isn't on the side of the ordinary people. Forest fires have burnt for four months, no action has been taken", one protester told Hartanto.
Another protester, still wearing a university jacket, asked for Hartanto's help in conveying their concerns to the government.
"Bapak [Mr] listen to the students' aspirations. We haven't been able to convey it to the DPR [House of Representatives], nor to President Prabowo [Subianto]. Bapak is the one who can convey this for us", said the protester.
Responding to the request, Hartanto said that they could convey their message right where they are without needing to reach the HI traffic circle.
"We're in the age of IT now. Everything can be heard and seen, our conversation here is already being covered by IT, you don't have to go to HI okay", said Hartanto.
The protesters however remained in front of the UOB Tower for some time until the police eventually deployed a crowd-dispersal vehicle (Raisa) to disperse them.
Student demands
The University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI) presented five demands covering issues on the environment, the economy, education, legal and governance reform, as well as human rights and democracy.
1. Declaration of a national disaster
On the environment, the BEM UI along with various civil society elements urged the government to declare a national disaster status in response to the various ecological disasters occurring across Indonesia.
This demand not only targeted the forest and land fires in Kalimantan, but also ecological disasters in several other regions including East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Papua and Sumatra.
BEM UI believes that the government should pay greater attention to the ecological disasters unfolding in these regions.
2. Budget oriented toward public interest
In the economic sector, the BEM UI demanded that the State Budget (APBN) be used entirely to serve the interests of the public.
They also asked the government to stop wasting the budget on populist programs that that they believe prioritise political interests instead.
The BEM UI highlighted the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) programs.
3. Reducing education costs
The third demand focused on the education sector and basic services.
The BEM UI asked the government to lower education costs and ensure that access to basic services is enjoyed equitably by the public.
They believe that the issue of education costs is a problem that requires immediate attention from the government.
4. End the misuse of the law, eradicate KKN
In the legal reform and governance sector, the BEM UI urged the government to stop the misuse of the law to serve the interests of those in power.
They also demand the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).
5. Safeguard freedom of expression, human rights
The fifth demand concerned human rights and democracy.
The BEM UI urged the government to protect freedom of expression and put an end to the criminalisation of individuals who voice criticism.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Barikade Polisi Terterobos, Tiga Jari Teracung, Protes Karhutla Menggema di Bundaran HI".]
Notes
On October 28, 1928, Indonesian students and youth gathered in Jakarta to declare the Youth Pledge – generally accepted as the first open declaration of Indonesian independence – which called for a united independent Indonesia under the theme of "One Nation, One People, One Language". It was the first time that a substantial body of anti-colonial activists committed themselves to an independent united nation with Malay as the national language.
