Surabaya – Civil Society activists in Surabaya held the 899th Kamisan (Thursday) Action to stand in solidarity with and demand justice for Arianto Tawakal (14), a student at the Maluku Tenggara State Madrasah Tsanawiyah (religious high school, MT), who died after being assaulted by a member of the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Tual, Maluku.
The hundreds of people stood in a row opposite the Negara Grahadi Building (the governor's office) in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday afternoon February 26, holding black umbrellas, protest posters and banners, as well as a framed photograph of Tawakal's face.
"We hope that they will receive appropriate punishment, this does not mean that a life is repaid with a life, but that the police officer who killed Arianto Tawakal and [police officers who have killed] victims before can at least be prosecuted by the law so that they will be tried as fairly as possible" ,said one of the speakers.
Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the protesters, Zaldi Maulana, said that Tawakal's death adds to a long list of cases of extrajudicial killings targeting civil society, especially children in Indonesia.
According to Maulana, Tawakal's death is clear evidence of the failure of the police in carrying out their function as protectors of the people. He also highlighted how this violence was committed in a very cruel way.
"Once again, extrajudicial killings against children have occurred again. Arianto Tawakal, a student in Tual, Maluku, was beaten to death with a helmet until he was drenched in blood at the hands of Polri [National Police] member Mesias Siahaya", said Maulana.
Furthermore, Maulana reminded the public that Tawakal was not the first victim. Names such as Gamma Rizkynata Oktavandy and Afif Maulana, who died in 2024, were also cited as evidence of a pattern of violence by the authorities that continues to be repeated without a thorough evaluation.
Yet legally, the protection of children is strictly regulated under Child Protection Law Number 35/2014, as well as the main duties of the National Police under Law Number 2/2002 which include protection, guidance and community service.
Maulana also strongly criticised the use of negative labels attached to the victim by the authorities, such as "illegal racing" or "brawlers", which the authorities often attach to victims after they have died. This is considered to be a fraudulent tactic to wash their hands of legal responsibility.
"The use of this narrative after the death of a child is proof of how cowardly the authorities are. Proof that society is never safe or let alone protected because the main perpetrators is none other than part of Polri itself", he said.
The Kamisan Surabaya action also demanded that the National Police immediately restore its professionalism by eliminating its militaristic culture and stop blaming the victims. If this is not done, the police as an institution will in fact continue to be seen as a real threat to the public.
"If it's true that the [government's] reform of Polri is a serious effort and not just a PR campaign, then Polri must be able to restore elements of its professionalism, starting from eliminating the victim narratives and eliminating its militaristic nature. As long as both of these are still present in the soul of Polri, as long as this is so the public will never be protected, and as long as this is so Polri will continue to be a threat to the public", he concluded.
In addition to this, the action also included a theatrical action and joint prayers in memory of Tawakal, Oktavandy and other victims of violence by the authorities. (frd/dal)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Masyarakat Sipil Surabaya Gelar Aksi Solidaritas untuk Arianto Tawakal".]
