Students stage protest against permit policy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Approximately 60 students staged a protest at
\nthe House of Representatives yesterday, calling for the abolition
\nof the government policy of requiring permits to hold gatherings.<\/p>\n
Calling themselves the United Struggling Indonesian Youths,
\nthe students unfurled banners, held out placards and shouted
\ntheir demands that the representative body heed the growing
\n\"crisis of trust\" among the people.<\/p>\n
\"The public is now apathetic toward the authorities actions,
\nand is currently experiencing a crisis of trust toward the
\nparliament's sincerity in fighting for the interests of the
\npeople,\" the students said in a statement.<\/p>\n
They called for the abolition of article 510 of the Criminal
\nCode and the Laws on Subversion, which are usually used by the
\nauthorities to deny requests for permits to hold gatherings or to
\ndisband meetings.<\/p>\n
\"The article is no longer suitable for the growing demands of
\nopenness in society,\" they said.<\/p>\n
The students also sang patriotic songs and held their midday
\nprayers in the House's compound.<\/p>\n
The protesters, who are members of several organizations,
\nincluding the youth section of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem
\norganization, demanded, but failed, to meet with House Speaker
\nWahono.<\/p>\n
They were met, instead, by Djuwardi Effendi, Soedaryanto and
\nWiyanjono, members of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction.
\nFollowing this, the students dispersed peacefully.<\/p>\n
In a related development, Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman
\ntold reporters, covering hearings at the House yesterday, that
\nthe government intended to \"put in order\" the existing policies
\nrequiring people to obtain permission to hold academic seminars.<\/p>\n
The move is expected to end the confusion and polemics over
\nwhether scientific seminars should be covered by the permits'
\npolicy, he said.<\/p>\n
He called on the public not to be suspicious of the
\ngovernment's plan to review the policy.<\/p>\n
\"Don't think that if we wished to put something in order, it
\nwould mean that we wanted to tighten supervision,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"God willing, I guarantee it would not be like that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The controversies surrounding the government's plan to review
\nthe policy, which requires people to obtain permission before
\nthey can hold any meeting, are still growing.<\/p>\n
A number of observers have called on the government to either
\nabolish the policy, or revise it, so that there are clear
\nguidelines as to what kind of gatherings need permits. The public
\nhas also called on the authorities to exempt scientific meetings
\nin universities from the policy.<\/p>\n
Legal experts have pointed out that article 510 of the
\nCriminal Code was actually established to regulate gatherings
\nsuch as wedding receptions, and is therefore unapplicable to
\nscientific seminars.<\/p>\n
Oetojo also said that an inter-ministerial team is currently
\npreparing a draft bill on demonstrations. The team, made up of
\nexperts from the ministries of justice, home affairs and
\nsecurity, is expected to submit the bill to the House later this
\nyear, he said. (swe\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-stage-protest-against-permit-policy-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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