Thousands Of Masses Protest At Tarakan DPRD Building, Submit Three Demands

Student action in Tarakan was lively. (Victor Ratu VOI)

TARAKAN - Thousands of masses from students and the community who are members of the Northern Alliance rallied in front of the Tarakan City DPRD Building, North Kalimantan (Kaltara), Monday, September 1.

The field coordinator (Korlap), Muhammad Imanullah Aziz said that this mass action started at 14.00 WITA, the masses gathered at Graha KNPI and carried out a long march to the DPRD Building with a distance of more than one kilometer.

"The action we carried out with fellow students and residents was a form of our disappointment with the DPR RI, we moved because of our conscience, not just a formality," Muchammad Imanullah Aziz.

Arriving in front of the DPRD Building, the mass ranks were intercepted by joint security from the TNI, Polri, to Satpol PP officers. The action had heated up when a number of students tried to rush into the courtyard of the building. Even pushing action with officers had occurred.

"Our action is to meet with the leadership of the council to express their aspirations and not riots," he said.

In their oration, they submitted three demands, namely the first, rejecting the DPR RI housing allowance of Rp. 50 million per month which was considered to have hurt people's sense of justice.

Second, urge the DPR RI to immediately produce pro-people legal products, especially the ratification of the Asset Confiscation Bill, the Indigenous Community Bill, as well as policies that support education and public welfare.

Third, urge the internal reform of the National Police to be more professional, transparent, and not act repressively in responding to the community movement.

"We want the DPR RI to work for the people, not for the elite, especially for the difficult conditions of the people as it is today, so as not to cause a gap," he explained.

Until this news was revealed, the masses were still standing around the Tarakan DPRD Building. They repeatedly tried to enter to convey their aspirations directly to the meeting room, while the security forces continued to be on guard to anticipate possible further chaos.