DPR Member’s Message to Students After Protest Marking Prabowo’s Two Years in Office

Soedeson Tandra, a member of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR), delivered a message to students following a peaceful demonstration marking the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration near Tugu Tani in Jakarta on Tuesday (20 October).

Soedeson said differing political views were normal in a democratic country. He said he respected the maturity shown by students who voiced their demands in an orderly manner without causing unrest.

“In a modern democracy, differences of opinion are commonplace. One way for the public to express its aspirations is through statements of opinion or demonstrations. As the event proceeded smoothly and in an orderly fashion, we extend our deepest thanks to the demonstrators,” Soedeson said in a statement on Wednesday (21 October).

He said the public’s right to express its aspirations in public was an important pillar of national life guaranteed by the Constitution.

The Golkar Party politician also praised the police, particularly the Jakarta Metropolitan Police and Central Jakarta Metropolitan Police, for what he said was their successful use of a persuasive security approach on the ground.

Soedeson said officers had followed the National Police Chief’s direction that police should maintain a friendly presence among the public without resorting to repressive measures. He urged authorities to apply the same approach consistently and make it a standard operating procedure for police across the regions.

“Please make this an example for other regional police commands. The slogan that the police are with the public must be implemented seriously and consistently at every level,” Soedeson said.

Students from various campuses in Jakarta staged demonstrations on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, coinciding with the second anniversary of the Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming administration.

In Jakarta, students from the University of Indonesia (UI) held a demonstration at Tugu Tani in Central Jakarta from 3pm local time. They urged the government to designate forest and land fires as a national disaster.

The demonstrators also displayed banners bearing their demands. Observations at the scene showed that they initially took turns giving speeches near Tugu Tani before gathering directly beneath the monument. One demonstrator then tried to climb it. There were no clashes between the police and the demonstrators.