The Government And House Of Representatives Are Asked To Respond To Students' Demands At April 11 Protest Act

Student demonstration on April 11 at the Indonesian House of Representatives/Photo: VOI

JAKARTA - The government and the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) were asked to focus on responding to student demands during a demonstration on Monday, April 11. They were asked not to divert the issue to the beatings experienced by University of Indonesia (UI) lecturer Ade Armando who was present in the middle of the activity.

The chairman of the Setara Institute, Hendardi, reminded that it is important for the government and the Indonesian House of Representatives to pay attention to the substance presented by students during demonstrations. Because, without the attention of the two parties, it will only illustrate their reluctance to resolve the existing problems.

At least, there were a number of demands made by students in the action. First, they asked President Jokowi to firmly reject the discourse of postponing the election and extending his term of office.

Furthermore, students also urged the government to immediately control the price of cooking oil, which is currently soaring, plus criticized the policy of increasing the price of Pertamax fuel oil.

"Setara Institute emphasizes that the substance voiced in this student movement must be the main concern for the government and the DPR," Hendardi said in a written statement quoted on Wednesday, April 13.

As for the violence experienced by Ade Armando, the Setara Institute strongly condemns and asks the police to take firm action against the perpetrators. Moreover, Hendardi said, the perpetrators of the lecturers who are also social media activists have been identified.

But, on the other hand, Hendardi said that the Setara Institute rejected various attempts at decay directed at the student movement.

"It's like exhaling narratives that the movement is infiltrated by certain political interests, infiltrated by groups that want to commit acts of violence, or even narratives that direct that this is no longer purely a student movement," he said.

Hendardi does not deny that every student's action is always accompanied by the potential for decay. But, he reminded, the government should not be allergic to this kind of movement.

Thus, proportional treatment is needed in handling each demonstration and a joint standard is made by the government to be carried out by the apparatus.

"Every action has the potential for decay, but the student movement must not stop and be turned off," he stressed.

Regarding this demonstration, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) emphasized that the government had never banned it. In fact, he gave appreciation because students have expressed their aspirations.

"Highest appreciation, the government is happy to hear that the aspirations were conveyed properly and the government will never hinder it because that is what we were fighting for," he said in a video caption uploaded to the YouTube Ministry of Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Tuesday, April 12.

Meanwhile, regarding the violence experienced by Ade Armando, Mahfud asked the perpetrators to immediately surrender. Moreover, he said, the police have now pocketed their identities.

"I have coordinated with the National Police that the perpetrators have been identified and asked to surrender or will be arrested if they do not surrender," he said.

Mahfud has asked the police to take firm action against whoever did it because there is no room for the perpetrators of violence. Moreover, this persecution was carried out brutally.

"I ask (the police, ed) that whoever did it, regardless of political affiliation, should be dealt with firmly by law," said Mahfud.

"Because if we tolerate things like this, it will be dangerous for the survival of our country," he added.

According to him, it is not difficult for the police to catch the perpetrators who do not surrender. Because there are many tools that can be used to find out who the perpetrators are.

"Whether it's a drone, whether it uses CCTV in various angles, it can already be identified with no difficulty who is involved in the criminal act," he concluded.