Students from various universities across Indonesia staged a\ndemonstration to mark the 28th anniversary of Reform on Thursday, 21 May\n2026. Among them was the UNS Student Alliance (Aliansi Mahasiswa\nUniversitas Sebelas Maret). They protested outside the Surakarta City\nCouncil (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah, DPRD Kota Surakarta). In their\nbanners and speeches, the students criticised several policies of the\nPrabowo administration, arguing they do not serve the people and\nthreaten democracy.<\/p>\n
In their speeches, the student leaders urged the city council\nleadership to come down and meet the demonstrators. Shortly after,\nseveral councillors, including Speaker of the Surakarta DPRD, Budi\nPrasetyo, PDIP faction member YG Sukasno, and other DPRD members, were\nseen among the crowd.<\/p>\n
A coordinator, Revaino Wijaya, said the protest was a moment to\nremind the government to be more open to public critique and not to\nignore public aspirations. \u2018We are here to voice the people\u2019s\ngrievances. Many policies currently do not deliver justice for the\npeople,\u2019 he said after the action.<\/p>\n
The students carried six main demands they said directly relate to\ndemocracy, the economy, and public welfare. One major demand was to halt\nthe national strategic project (PSN) Putri Cempo, which they say lacks\ntransparency and risks public health and the surrounding\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
They called on the government to publish all policy documents,\nfunding schemes, and environmental impact assessments to the public.\n\u2018The state must not sacrifice the health of citizens and the living\nspace of communities for development driven by investment interests,\u2019 he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In addition to PSN, the protesters highlighted the weakening rupiah\nand deteriorating economic conditions for the public. They argued\ngovernment policy has not prioritised the poor and has instead increased\nthe economic burden on ordinary people.<\/p>\n
In their demands, they asked the government to prioritise the state\nbudget (APBN) for public needs, not projects that only benefit political\nelites. \u2018The APBN must be used for the people\u2019s interests, not for\nwasteful power and populist projects,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
The UNS Student Alliance also rejected any form of state\ntotalitarianism that suppresses freedom of thought and public criticism.\nThey argued universities and public spaces must remain democratic spaces\nfor people to express opinions. \u2018Democracy should not be reduced to mere\nobedience to power,\u2019 he declared.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the students urged the DPR RI and the government to\npromptly pass the Indigenous Peoples Bill. They also called on the\ngovernment to stop land grabs carried out in the name of investment,\nPSN, or corporate interests. \u2018The state must protect Indigenous\ncommunities, not become an instrument of evictions legitimised by law,\u2019\nthey said.<\/p>\n
They also demanded a comprehensive review of the Free Nutritious\nMeals (MBG) and the People\u2019s School programmes, which they say are not\nyet systemically prepared. They see these programmes as potentially\nelectoral image-building projects that waste national funds without real\nsolutions for the people. \u2018Education and the welfare of the people must\nnot be commodities for electoral gain,\u2019 a student said.<\/p>\n
In their final demand, the students called on the government to take\nemergency steps to stabilise the rupiah. They urged the government to\nfix the fundamentals of the economy, control debt, keep prices for\nessential goods stable, and stop policies that only benefit the market\nand political elites. \u2018The depreciation of the rupiah is proof of the\nstate\u2019s failure to maintain economic stability and protect the people\u2019s\nwelfare,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
The Kamisan vigil held in front of the Presidential Palace, Jakarta,\nyesterday was attended by hundreds of students from various campuses.\nSome participants criticised the government, arguing it bears\nsimilarities to the Soeharto regime that stepped down exactly 28 years\nago.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Rizaldy, a Kamisan participant and president of the National\nStudent Front (FMN), said the Prabowo Subianto\u2013Gibran Rakabuming Raka\nadministration has betrayed the Reform movement. \u2018It turns out the\nPrabowo-Gibran regime is no different from the fascist Soeharto regime\nat that time,\u2019 he said at the Kamisan site, in front of the Merdeka\nPalace, Jakarta.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/six-demands-of-uns-students-on-reform-anniversary-1779542197", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }