Police Urge Workers To Free ITB Student Meme Maker Prabowo - Jokowi
JAKARTA - The Labor Party and the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) have urged the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police Headquarters to release a student from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) who made a meme for President Prabowo Subianto and the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
Not only that, workers support the struggle of KM ITB and its students in enforcing democratic values and the need to build a social dialogue in dealing with expressions made by students and the people.
The meme maker student is known to have the initials SSS. He was arrested by police at his boarding house located in Jatinangor, Sumedang Regency, West Java, on Tuesday, May 6.
"Therefore, the Labor Party and KSPI support the attitudes and steps taken by KM ITB and the ITB academy community who ask the ITB students to be released and there is no criminalization," said KSPI President and Labor Party, Said Iqbal in his statement, Sunday, May 11.
According to Said Iqbal, freedom of expression in expressing opinions in countries that adhere to democracy, especially Indonesia, is in accordance with the constitution.
"The difference in interpretation of the expressions expressed by the people, especially among young people and a woman who comes from the ITB art faculty, needs to be appreciated and heard the intent and purpose of expressing this expression, not criminalized by making arrests," he said.
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Meanwhile, ITB has coordinated with various parties regarding the arrest of a student at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD) by the police regarding the upload of state head memes through social media.
"In response to this news, we can convey that ITB has coordinated intensively and cooperated with various parties," said ITB Director of Communication and Public Relations Nurlaela Arief in Bandung, West Java, Friday, May 9, as reported by ANTARA.
Coordination was also carried out by the University of ITB with the Student Parents Association (IOM) in responding to this case. Meanwhile, the parents of the person concerned came to the ITB campus on Friday and apologized.