Megawati's Sadness Over Sondang Hutagalung's Self-Defense Action In Today's Memory, December 12, 2011

The late Sondang Hutagalung (with a question mark on his body) rallied to commemorate the Trisakti and May 1998 cases in front of the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Jakarta (12/5/2011). (PHOTO ANTARA/Fanny Octavianus)

JAKARTA Memories of today, 13 years ago, December 12, 2011, the general chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Megawati Soekarnoputri is saddened by Sondang Hutagalung's self-immolation. The former President of Indonesia of the Fifth hopes that Sondang's departure will be a strong warning to the government.

Previously, Sondang's self-immolation shocked the whole of Indonesia. This action was carried out as a form of protest to the rulers who did not care about the fate of the people. Simpati also came to Sondang. However, his life could not be saved.

The government's relationship cannot please all parties. The policy is the same. Sometimes government policies favor certain groups. Sometimes they also side with other groups. Some are happy. Some are hurt.

This condition makes the government often get criticism from here and there. Criticism through the mass media. Sometimes criticism is also taken to the streets. However, when criticism has been carried out with self-immolation, the state is not doing well.

A monk named Thich Quang Duc committed self-immolation in Vietnam in 1963. The action was carried out as a form of criticism of the government for not giving freedom of religion and succeeding.

Thich's struggle was not in vain. He opened many eyes that what the Vietnamese government did was not true. In Indonesia, a similar action was carried out. Sondang Hutagalung became an example. Bung Karno University (UBK) Faculty of Law student set himself on fire in front of the State Palace on December 7, 2011.

The action shocked the whole Palace, then Indonesia. Sondang with his burns was immediately rushed to the Jakarta RSCM. Later, the reason for the self-immolation was revealed in a post in his girlfriend's book, Putri.

The action was carried out suddenly because he felt dissatisfied with the rampant poverty and injustice in the era of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government. He seemed annoyed to see the government standing still. In fact, they have the capacity to change many things as rulers.

"Cursed for injustice, death for indifference, death for poverty, death for pain and grief, death for evil entrepreneurs, death for criminals, after I have no more taste," wrote Sondang.

Sondang with his burns which reached 98 percent could not be saved. Sondang's body was finally buried on the UBK campus, then taken to the Bekasi funeral home, and then buried at Pondok Kelapa Cemetery on December 10, 2011.

Sondang's death also attracted a lot of attention. The Fifth former President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, expressed her confidence while holding back sadness on December 12, 2011.

Sondang's action is considered a pure criticism of the nation's young generation against the government that is not pro-people. The government ignored the input of the younger generation. As a result, Sondang chose to burn himself so that his voice could be heard.

Megawati thinks that what Sondang has done has slapped the face of the SBY government. She hopes that the government will soon be aware. Megawati wants no more students or other people to take similar actions because the government ignores the fate of its people.

"Sondang has left, we are bowing our heads, grieving. This is a form of protest over the management of politics and government. Social picture, the nation's young generation. However, his message felt hard to slap our ears."

"We need to reflect on this tragedy, we deserve to ask ourselves, and it is also appropriate to ask whether the leader of this country has taken his heart, with a student with principles and beliefs he does not seem to have to take action. Defining my hair as a mother, the suffering of the country's children is like that," said Megawati at the PDIP National Working Meeting in Bandung, West Java as quoted by the Tribunnews.com page, December 12, 2011.