Kapolda Promises To Meet The Demonstrators With The Palace

JAKARTA - The Head of Metro Jaya Regional Police, Inspector General Nana Sudjana, said that his party would facilitate negotiations between the mass demonstrations against the Job Creation Law and the Palace, namely the Presidential Staff Office (KSP).

This was decided based on the results of his monitoring with the Commander of the Regional Military Command (Kodam Jaya), Major General TNI, Dudung Abdurachman and Kabareskrim, Komjen Listyo Sigit Prabowo, in the area of the Arjuna Wiwaha Horse Statue, Central Jakarta.

"Regarding their matter (the protesters) met with the Palace, we are conveying them. We will mediate with the KSP," said Nana when met at the location, Tuesday, October 20.

Inspector General Nana understood that the protesters wanted to get closer to the State Palace area. However, they were stuck in the Horse Statue.

The police have indeed restricted access by using a barrier or roadblock equipped with barbed wire at the end of Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat. Nana admitted that she deliberately took such restrictions.

"Currently, the rules for action are only in front of this, around the Horse Statue," he said.

Inspector General Nana hopes that the action will proceed peacefully. "We also hope that this action can proceed peacefully. The important thing is that the rules are in place, in Law Number 9 of 1998 regarding the expression of opinions in public, how to get the message to arrive," he explained.

Today's demonstration was attended by a number of community elements consisting of the Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI), a combination of other students, and a number of labor organizations.

Some of the masses were already at the Horse Statue. Some of them are on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan. The mass of BEM SI was around 400 people, the Joint Workers' Movement was about 1,750 people, and the Indonesian Buru Union Movement was around 30 people.

They want to join the students in conveying their aspirations, namely asking President Joko Widodo to issue the Perppu on the Job Creation Law.

Unfortunately, President Joko Widodo is currently not at the State Palace in Jakarta. Jokowi is currently at the Bogor Palace.

Jokowi this morning was scheduled to hold a limited meeting on the development of preparations for the 2021 U-20 World Cup online. In addition, Jokowi is scheduled to have a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide.