Repeatedly Demo, BEM SI: Should Be Aware Why People Are Angry

Demonstration against the Job Creation Law at the Proclamation Monument, Central Jakarta, October 28 (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI) has responded to the insinuation of the Chairperson of the PDI Perjuangan, Megawati Soekarnoputri, about the millennial generation who often hold demonstrations and damage to public facilities.

BEM SI Issue Study Coordinator, Alif Zulfikar Syahroni, said Megawati should not only be able to highlight the impact of damage to public facilities that occurred during demonstrations against the Job Creation Act.

However, said Alif, what needs to be underlined is that the cause of the damaged facilities is the anger of the people towards government policies which are considered detrimental and do not consider the voice of the people.

"What must be considered is why people are angry so that there is damage. They should be aware of why people get angry," said Alif when contacted, Thursday, October 29.

Alif said that the wave of demonstrations held by students, laborers, and a number of elements of society could occur repeatedly because the government failed to build good communication with the community in making policies.

"Currently, communication between the government and the community is very lacking. This is one of the factors for public anger, because communication is not established," he said.

Previously, during an online inauguration ceremony for his party, Megawati Soekarnoputri touched on the problem of demonstrations that have occurred frequently recently. He even questioned the role of the millennial generation or young people for the nation and state.

"Our young people, oh my, I said to the President, don't be spoiled, it is said that our generation is the millennial generation," said the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia.

"I want to ask, what is the contribution of the millennial generation today. What is your contribution to this nation and country? Really, just a demonstration," he added.

The 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia also mentioned a demonstration which ended in chaos on 8 October. It is known that during the action, a number of public facilities were damaged by groups of rioters who joined the student group's demonstrators.

According to him, this action is very unfortunate because the state budget spent to build a Transjakarta bus stop is not small.

"God, take the trouble to burn the Transjakarta bus stop, it's your money! You don't want to be arrested, what do I do. I think it's really funny that the republic of Indonesia is now," he said.