Civil Society in Surabaya Holds Solidarity Action for Arianto Tawakal
Civil society groups in Surabaya held a solidarity action for Arianto Tawakal.
Civil society groups in Surabaya held their 899th weekly protest to show solidarity and demand justice for Arianto Tawakal (14), a student at MTs Negeri Maluku Tenggara, who died as a result of violence perpetrated by a member of the Brimob Polri (police riot control unit) in Tual, Maluku.
A hundred people stood in a line across from the Negara Grahadi building in Surabaya on Thursday afternoon, holding black umbrellas, posters and banners with protest messages, and a framed photograph of Arianto Tawakal.
“We hope they will receive appropriate punishment, not that a life should be repaid with a life, but that the police officers who killed Arianto Tawakal and previous victims should at least be brought to justice and tried fairly,” said one of the speakers.
Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the protesters, Zaldi Maulana, said that Arianto’s death added to the long list of cases of extrajudicial killings targeting civilians, especially children in Indonesia.
According to him, Arianto’s death is clear evidence of the police’s failure to carry out its function as a protector of the people. He also highlighted how this violence was carried out in a very brutal manner.
“Once again, extrajudicial killings of children are happening again. Arianto Tawakkal, a student in Tual, Maluku, died after being hit with a helmet until he was covered in blood by a member of the Polri, Masias Siahaya,” said Zaldi.
Furthermore, Zaldi reminded the public that Arianto was not the first victim. Names such as Gamma Rizkynata Oktavandy and Afif Maulana, who died in 2024, were also mentioned as evidence of a pattern of violence by law enforcement officers that continues to repeat without thorough evaluation.
In fact, legally, protection for children is strictly regulated in the Child Protection Law Number 35 of 2014, as well as the Polri’s main tasks in Law Number 2 of 2002 which include protecting, safeguarding, and serving the community.
Zaldi also strongly condemned the use of negative labels attached to victims by law enforcement officers, such as ‘illegal racing’ or ‘gang violence’, which are often used to deflect responsibility after the victims die. This is considered a tactic to wash their hands of legal responsibility.
“The use of this narrative after the death of a child is evidence of how cowardly law enforcement officers are. It is evidence that the public is never safe or even protected because the main perpetrators are none other than members of the Polri themselves,” he said.
The Surabaya Thursday Action also demanded that the Polri immediately restore its professionalism by eliminating the militaristic culture and stopping blaming the victims. If this is not done, the police institution will continue to be seen as a real threat to the public.
“If the Polri Reform is indeed a serious effort and not just a PR campaign, the Polri must be able to restore its professionalism, starting with eliminating the victim narrative and eliminating its militaristic nature. As long as both of these things still exist within the Polri, the public will never be protected, and the Polri will continue to be a threat to the public,” he concluded.
In addition, this action was also carried out with a theatrical performance and a joint prayer to commemorate Arianto, Gamma and other victims of violence by law enforcement officers.
(frd/dal)