BEM UI Ends Demonstration, Calls It 'First Step'

The University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Board (BEM UI) alliance ended its demonstration in front of the Thamrin Nine Ballroom in Central Jakarta on Friday, 12 June 2026. The alliance had originally planned to protest at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout but was blocked by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Police.

BEM UI Chairman Yatalathof Ma’shum Imawan urged the crowd to conclude the ‘Towards Indonesia’s Bankruptcy’ demonstration for the day, stating it was the first step before their five demands are met by the government. “This is not a one-time event. This is the first step. Let us gather our energy,” he said during his speech.

The five demands to be voiced by the alliance are: stop state budget (APBN) waste, lower the prices of staple goods and fuel (BBM), halt the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) and the construction of Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperatives), stop militarism in civilian domains, and finally, for President Prabowo Subianto to stop evading responsibility and admit the government’s mistakes.

Following the oration, the BEM UI student alliance issued a statement of position. In it, the alliance argued that economic growth only appears on paper, contrasting sharply with conditions on the ground, citing rising rice prices and scarce employment opportunities. The alliance assessed that President Prabowo Subianto has displayed an arrogant, minimally accountable, and anti-people stance, claiming that promises of a ‘Golden Indonesia’ are instead steering the nation towards economic and democratic bankruptcy.

“Criticism of data is ignored. The government evades and oppresses rather than taking responsibility,” a representative stated. The alliance also criticised the TNI’s role in overseeing the protest, asserting that the military should be safeguarding national sovereignty. The alliance declared there would be follow-up actions, planning to mobilise a larger crowd within one to two days.

The students participating in the demonstration came from the BEM UI alliance (BEM UI and 15 faculty-level BEMs within UI), BEM KM IPB, BEM PNJ, BEM Pancasila University, the Gunadarma BEM Alliance, FMN Central, FMN UI, Pembebasan, and Semar UI. The organisers noted that several other organisations and movement nodes that participated in a national consolidation meeting at the UI campus the previous day were still confirming their attendance and estimated crowd numbers at a meeting that evening.