Student demonstrations may lead to massive riots<\/p>\n
Prolonged student demonstrations have won a warning from no
\nless than the head of state himself. Hermawan Sulistyo, a
\nresearcher at the National Institute of Sciences, discusses the
\nissue.<\/p>\n
Question: Why are university students becoming more radical in
\ntheir demonstrations?<\/p>\n
Hermawan: Objective conditions have driven them to be more
\nradical. While the economic crisis deepens, people are losing
\ntheir purchasing power and students have difficulty financing
\ntheir studies.<\/p>\n
Even though the rupiah is strengthening, the students continue
\ndemonstrating because prices of goods remain high and they find
\nit difficult to pay their rent.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the absence of a response from the authorities to
\ntheir demands and their ongoing demonstrations have contributed
\nto the escalation of their radicalism. Some of them have even
\ncalled themselves a 'suicide squad'. Even though they are not
\narmed, they have the courage to encounter physical clashes with
\nsecurity officers who are well trained and equipped.<\/p>\n
Q: Who can control the demonstrating students?<\/p>\n
H: No one. They are uncontrollable because most of them feel that
\nthey do not have any links with formal student or youth
\norganizations.<\/p>\n
From the day they entered university, student organizations on
\ntheir campuses have been restructured in such a way as to
\ndistance them from political activities. Members of such
\norganizations are not sensitive to social changes and are not
\nwell-trained to coordinate people.<\/p>\n
When the economic crisis hit the country and the political
\nsituation worsened, the students resorted to demonstrations to
\narticulate the plight of the people and the student organizations
\nwere not ready to coordinate them. The demonstrations, therefore,
\nare uncontrollable and dangerous.<\/p>\n
Q: Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto has invited the
\nstudents to engage in a dialog. Will such meetings be helpful?<\/p>\n
H: It is too late to invite the students to join a dialog because
\nthey started their demonstrations in January and February.<\/p>\n
ABRI's approach in inviting the students to participate in a
\ndialog is too formal. Having a dialog with the students at
\nsophisticated buildings with a formal agenda sounds like a
\ncircus.<\/p>\n
If he really wants to have a dialog with the students, the
\ngeneral should enter university campuses and have discussions
\nwith them at their free-speech forums.<\/p>\n
Q: Why didn't they channel their aspirations through the House of
\nRepresentatives?<\/p>\n
H: The House members have no sense of crisis. They consider their
\nbusiness to be running as usual.<\/p>\n
Q: Are political, economic and legal reforms the real targets of
\ntheir demonstrations?<\/p>\n
H: No. They are actually not ready to explain what kind of
\nreforms they want. Their real target is actually a change in
\nnational leadership because they have been disturbed by the fast-
\ngrowing businesses of the offspring of those top leaders.<\/p>\n
Even if some of those children were attempting to win the
\nhearts of the people by orchestrating schemes that seemed to
\nbenefit the public, the students and also many other people would
\nbe suspicious of their intentions.<\/p>\n
The students, therefore, are full of resentment every time
\nthey read press reports about questionable business dealings
\nrelated to politically powerful figures.<\/p>\n
Q: Have the demonstrations today been exploited by a certain
\nparty for their own political goals?<\/p>\n
H: I don't think so. Some people believe in rumors saying that
\nsome ABRI personnel are behind the demonstrating students but I
\ndo not believe it.<\/p>\n
Q: So, what might happen if these demonstrations go on and on?<\/p>\n
H: Violent, massive rioting might occur in major cities, and the
\nhundreds of thousands of students involved in demonstrations and
\nmillions of other people cannot safeguard themselves against the
\nsevere economic condition.<\/p>\n
Marked by a minus 4 percent growth in gross domestic product,
\nthe economy will get worse in the coming months.<\/p>\n
Q: Do you think that the student demonstrations may trigger a
\npeople power movement?<\/p>\n
H: The students' demonstrations are not the beginning of the
\npeople power movement. The movement started earlier this year,
\nwhen common people were involved in violent riots for various
\nreasons in many towns across the country. They stopped rioting
\nwhen university students took to demonstrating, crying out their
\naspirations.<\/p>\n
The students want to expand their demonstrations off campuses
\nbut university leaders and lecturers are persuading them not to
\ndo so. (riz)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/student-demonstrations-may-lead-to-massive-riots-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}