Raihan Immaduddin, Jakarta – A total of 106 people were arrested by the police after a demonstration in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta ended in chaos on Tuesday evening October 10.
Police said that 94 of them were suspected of being involved in anarchist acts and destruction of public facilities, while the status of 12 other people still need to be clarified as well as their connection to the riot.
Yogyakarta (DIY) Regional Police Acting Head of Public Relations Assistant Superintendent Novita Eka Sari, explained that the demonstration that took place from noon until 7 pm initially proceeded in an orderly manner. The situation however changed at around 8.07 pm when approximately 100 people gathered in front of the Yogyakarta Regional Representatives Council (DPRD) building and carried out an attack.
"The crowd of anarchists shot firecrackers, threw Molotov [cocktails] and stones into the area inside the DIY DPRD building", said Sari in a written statement.
The police then deployed four Company Level Units (SSK) of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Riot Control troops along with 60 Riot Control Unit personnel at around 8.30 pm. At the same time, the Task Force for Strengthening Detective Alert Patrols (PAGAR) deployed 858 personnel to take control of the situation and secure people suspected of being involved in the riots.
According to Sari, the 106 protesters who were arrested were taken to the task force coordination post on the second floor of the DIY DPRD Building.
The clashes between the protesters and the police continued into the Golong-Gilig Monument area at around 9 pm, and at 10.37 pm protesters were still throwing firecrackers.
Police also blocked and intercepting protesters coming from the east of the monument at around 11.06 pm before Brimob held a large-scale patrol at 11.30 pm. During these actions police confiscated six Molotov cocktail bottles, 12 firecrackers, seven bottles containing petrol, one sharp weapon, one slingshot and one pack of buckshot.
National Police Chief (Kapolri) General Suyudi Ario Seto visited the DIY DPRD Building at around 1.23 am on Wednesday morning with national House of Representatives (DPR) Deputy Chair Sufmi Dasco Ahmad.
Seto inspected a number of people who were arrested and at the same time asked his staff to investigate those suspected of bringing dangerous objects to the demonstration. "And we will see whether this demonstration is purely to convey opinions in public", he said.
Jogja Calling Alliance rally
Earlier on Tuesday the Jogja Calling (Jogja Memanggil) Alliance held a demonstration at the Zero Kilometre Point in the centre of the city.
This action took up nine main demands covering national issues and Yogyakarta policies. One of the main problems highlighted was the narrowing of space for freedom of expression during the two years of the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Jogja Calling Alliance public relations officer Dion believes that the repeated arrests of demonstration participants and violence by the authorities had made people afraid to express criticism.
"Mass arrests are used as a tool of pressure. Every protest action is followed by arrests, and every arrest increases the costs for anyone who wants to speak out", said Dion.
The Alliance also highlighted the alleged involvement of civilian groups they referred to as "gentho" or thugs (preman) in a number of events in Yogyakarta. They linked the problem to the action against the relocation of Malioboro traders on October 20 and the demonstrations on October 28 which ended in the arrest of 34 people.
The demands not only targeted the handling of demonstrations and violence by the authorities, but also the policy of low wages, high education costs, the handling of the Mandala Krida Stadium corruption case and environmental problems.
The nine demands of the Jogja Calling Alliance
Demands related to national issues
- Return the military to the barracks.
- Thoroughly investigate the recent shootings in Aceh and Papua as well as various cases of serious human rights violations.
- Establish a national disaster emergency status for forest and land fires (karhutla) in various regions of Indonesia and prosecute those who damage the environment.
- Lower taxes for the ordinary people and increase conglomerate taxes.
- Revoke former president Suharto's title of National Hero and put all his cronies on trial.
- Stop the criminalisation of online motorcycle taxi drivers and reject applicator discounts that are considered unreasonable.
Demands related to the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY) issue
- Revoking the governor's regulation Jaga Warga (the Neighbourhood Guardians militia group) and the prohibition on demonstrations in the Philosophical Axis area running through the centre of the city.
- Realise Yogyakarta's minimum wage according to decent living needs (KHL) and reduce education costs.
- Thoroughly investigate the corruption case in the construction of the Mandala Krida Stadium.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo Jogja Ricuh: 106 Orang Ditangkap, Polisi Sebut Massa Aksi Anarkis, Serang Gedung DPRD dengan Molotov dan Petasan".]
