Four Weeks Of Monitoring The Demonstration Of The PKS Bill Convince Us "Feelings" Will Become A Stage For Big Aspirations For The Future

Tuesday's action encourages MCC Bill (Saddam / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Tuesday Action is entering its fourth week. During that time we also monitored this movement. In the first week on June 8th, even in the latest action last July 28th. Indeed, it is still the fourth week. But our instinct to catch this action will be a big aspiration stage in the future. At least until the Sexual Violence Bill (RUU PKS) is passed by the House of Representatives (DPR). In accordance with the jargon of this action: Every Tuesday, every Tuesday, and always Tuesday.

Since the DPR removed the PKS Bill from the priority list of the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), the wave of protests has grown. Especially when Commission VIII DPR said the reason for abolishing the regulation was because it was too difficult. The movement, which was initially busy on social media, then moved to a real dimension. People rallied at the DPR gate.

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Tuesday, June 8th, we were among the demonstrators. The four o'clock sun began to turn yellow, leaving a scorching heat in the air. The demonstrators came from so many circles. Their concerns are the same: they want the state to establish a legal basis to protect its citizens from acts of sexual violence.

Demonstrators line up regularly over prepared cross signs to ensure physical distancing is maintained amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Slowly we split the rows, until we found a line carrying a series of posters with the letters S, U, L, I, T plus a question mark (?). The message is clear. This was an allusion to the statement by the Deputy Chairperson of Commission VIII DPR Marwan Dasopang regarding the reasons for the elimination of the PKS Bill from Prolegnas.

Demonstrators form ranks (Saddam / VOI)

Dominated by women, the action participants actually came from various regions. We met several of them. Some came from Purwakarta, Karawang, to Bandung. Yayu, one of them, explained her reasons for joining the ranks of the protesters that day.

"We've been PHP-in for six years, right. From 2014. And we can't wait any longer. How long do we want to be hanged? Meanwhile, the number of victims continues to increase," said Yayu, to VOI.

Yayu is a student who is part of the Setara Network, a group of women who are active in moving around the issue of sexual harassment on campus. Yayu revealed that the rampant cases of sexual violence in the campus environment are increasingly worrying. So many cases are not revealed.

The PKS bill in his eyes is the hope of erasing that dark side. Not only in terms of legal judgment against the perpetrator, but also space for the recovery of victims, as well as how to build a support system around victims. "The other side of the campus world is quite dark. For example, harassment during thesis guidance, harassment by lecturers, even sexual harassment by fellow students," said Yayu.

The Mobile Action Field Coordinator, Lini Zurlia, was operating in front of the crowd

The Field Coordinator for Women's Movement, Lini Zurlia, who we met at the location, complements Yayu's view. Lini said, the PKS Bill ideally could cover many issues related to sexual violence, from prevention, treatment, to the recovery of victims. "So that the PKS Bill is all important," said Lini to VOI.

Lini also criticized the elimination of the PKS Bill from Prolegnas as the absence of legislative and executive political presence. "When this was withdrawn, I had not heard the statement from the minister (Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection) whether there was objection or there was an effort to defend it, I have not heard that. It's cool," he said.

Big aspiration stage

Watching Selasa's movements until the fourth week provoked our instinct that this action would become a big aspiration stage for the future. Lini said the protest group had a great determination to consistently move through Tuesday until the bill was passed into a Law (UU).

The main reason is simple. "So that they (DPR) feel that their performance will continue to be under supervision," said Lini.

Thursday, July 28 we returned to the DPR Building. There, we met Sabini, a dynamist for the Women's Movement. Sabini said the movement to push for the ratification of the PKS Bill would be combined with movements that refer to the supervision of other bills, including the Omnibus Law and the Domestic Workers (PRT) Bill.

The Women's Movement, together with the Confederation of the Congress of the Indonesian Workers Alliance (KASBI), held an audience with Deputy Speaker of the DPR, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad on 16 July. During the hearing, they discussed all the bills deemed problematic, both progressively and in substance.

"One of the members of Gerak Perampu, named Lini, together with the Chairperson of the Confederation of the Congress of the Indonesian Workers Alliance (KASBI), Nining Elitos, held an audience on July 16 to discuss several things, including the PKS Bill and the Omnibus Law and the Domestic Workers Bill. What remains to be discussed are the Omnibus Law. "The PRT bill has not been discussed yet. Later it will be used as a DPR initiative proposal in the plenary session. But there has been no progress," Sabini.

Regarding the PKS Bill, the DPR's decision did not shake. The discussion will still be deleted and included in the 2021 Prolegnas priority. "The promise will be included in the 2021 Priority Prolegnas, which also has no indication. And it will only be known later in October. This month, it will be determined whether to enter the Priority Prolegnas," Sabini explained. .

Plenary of the DPR (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

Hence, just as Lini said. The Tuesday Action will continue until the PKS Bill is passed. According to Sabini, since 2014 Komnas Perempuan has declared Indonesia an emergency of sexual violence. Based on this situation, the formulation of this Law was then formed to accommodate the interests of the wider community in the realm of sexual violence.

"In 2015, the law has begun to be formulated and it is based on two things. First, the direct voice of the victim. What are the needs, what are the shortcomings in our law, the shortcomings in its implementation by what apparatus. companion of victims of sexual violence while recovering to survivors, "said Sabini.

An interesting perspective was conveyed by Sabini. In fact, sexual violence has contributed to huge losses for the state. "Because women have a large portion of the Indonesian workforce. There is a large proportion of women workers who are unable to work well, and get access to proper income precisely because they are traumatized by the violence they have experienced."

With all these developments, it seems that Selasa's action will become a stage for big aspirations that do not only speak about the PKS Bill, women, and sexual violence. Manpower issues in the Omnibus Law, welfare issues in the Domestic Workers Bill or other issues that require encouragement for change can be voiced through this movement.

The polemic about the PKS Bill began when the DPR RI Legislation Body (Baleg) asked Commission VIII DPR RI to issue the carry-over bill from the 2020 Priority Prolegnas. Commission VIII approved it.

But, then Deputy Chairperson of Commission VIII Marwan Dasopang stated that his party withdrew the PKS Bill from the 2020 Priority Prolegnas on the grounds that the discussion was difficult.