Demonstration Demanding Pati Regent's Resignation Turns Violent, Palace Urges Restraint
JAKARTA - Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi, who is also the Presidential Spokesperson, appealed to all parties to exercise restraint when asked about the demonstration by hundreds of thousands of residents of Pati Regency demanding that Regent Sudewo resign.
Hundreds of thousands of people, members of the United Pati Community Alliance, filled the streets in front of the Pati Regent's office in Pati, Central Java, to protest against Sudewo's resignation. The demonstration escalated into chaos, particularly after vehicles were burned and Regent Sudewo was targeted with objects thrown by residents while attempting to listen to their demands.
"We, as the central government, are concerned and ask all parties to exercise restraint, including the Regent. We are also in constant communication with you personally. I am constantly monitoring and communicating with the Governor of Central Java. Hopefully, we can soon find the best solution, respecting all processes, the demonstrations held by the people of Pati. We also monitored the Pati Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) exercising its rights. We respect all processes, and the central government will continue to monitor and coordinate with all parties," said Prasetyo Hadi, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 13.
Pras, as he is popularly known, also stated that the central government, particularly himself, has been monitoring the situation in Pati since Regent Sudewo's policies sparked public outrage.
"Of course, we, the central government, especially myself, have been coordinating with relevant parties since the dynamics emerged in Pati Regency," Prasetyo said.
The State Secretary also responded to a question regarding reports of casualties resulting from the riots during the demonstrations. Pras requested that the news be clarified first to prevent the spread of conflicting information to the public.
"We need further clarification to avoid confusion. We are also continuing to request reports from the relevant parties regarding the veracity of the information, and the information we received some time ago is that no one has been found, or that no one has been reported dead," said Prasetyo Hadi.
The demonstration in Pati turned violent, especially when Regent Sudewo appeared among the crowd and attempted to listen to the protesters' concerns. However, Sudewo's presence sparked public anger, as evidenced by the throwing of sandals and plastic water bottles at Sudewo. Police subsequently broke up the demonstration and arrested 11 demonstrators believed to be provocateurs.