House Leaders Hold Closed-Door Meeting with Student Protesters

Leaders of the House of Representatives (DPR) received representatives of student protesters in a closed-door meeting at the parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (19/6) evening. The meeting was led by Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Saan Mustopa. The student representatives came from Trisakti University, Mercu Buana University, Esa Unggul University, and the executive board of the Islamic Students Association (HMI MPO). They entered the Abdul Muis meeting room around 6 p.m. Western Indonesia Time, but the meeting was held behind closed doors. Journalists were only permitted to take photographs at the beginning and were then asked to leave. As of the time of writing, the meeting was still ongoing and its outcomes remained unknown. The joint demonstration by students and HMI members had been underway since 3 p.m. Western Indonesia Time, bringing a series of demands related to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, the state budget (APBN), and the revision of the Police Law (UU Polri). The Trisakti University group’s ‘Tritura’ demands included restoring economic and political stability by lowering staple food and fuel prices and stopping state budget waste; eradicating incompetent officials and evaluating problematic government programmes; and restoring civilian supremacy by rejecting the Police Law, stopping repressive actions by security forces in civilian matters, and opposing National Strategic Projects (PSN) that seize people’s rights. The HMI MPO’s five demands called for an evaluation of the MBG and the Red-and-White Village Cooperative (KDMP) programmes; an end to state budget waste and a push for efficient, targeted, pro-people financial management; improved welfare for honorary teachers through policies guaranteeing status certainty, increased welfare, and protection of educators’ rights; stabilisation of fuel prices to protect purchasing power; and the upholding of civilian supremacy as a fundamental principle of democracy and the rule of law.