Protests against crooked politicians held in Wonosobo, Jayapura
Protests against crooked politicians held in Wonosobo, Jayapura
Nethy Dharma Somba and Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura/Wonosobo
Students and farmers held demonstrations against crooked
politicians on Tuesday and Wednesday in Central Java and Papua
provinces respectively, urging people not to vote for such
politicians in the upcoming general elections.
In the Papua capital, Jayapura, some 70 students from the
group Students Against Crooked Politicians (Amatik) marched along
Jayapura's main thoroughfares on Wednesday.
It was the first protest against crooked politicians to be
held in Papua province, after a national campaign against them
was launched by students and activists some two months ago in
Jakarta.
The students in Papua started their kilometers-long march on
Wednesday from Imbi park, in front of the Papua provincial
council building, and ended it at the same location.
During the march, the students carried banners and posters
that condemned crooked politicians.
Coordinator of the protest Baco Maiwa said that the protest
was aimed at ensuring the upcoming general election would produce
honest and responsible politicians.
In the protest the students also produced a list of
characteristics that defined crooked politicians. They said that
people could be categorized as crooked politicians if they were
involved in corruption, human rights violations, environmental
destruction or ignored the fate of poor people and workers.
"If legislative candidates have any of these characteristics,
please don't vote for them," said Baco.
Baco added that the students would continue their protest
until April 5, the date of the general election.
The students came from the Indonesian Christian Students
Movement (GMKI), the Association of Islamic Students (HMI), the
Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) and the
Muhammadiyah Students Association (IMM).
Separately, in the Central Java regency, Wonosobo, a similar
protest against crooked politicians was held one day earlier by
some 10,000 farmers from the Agrarian Reform Alliance (AGRA),
which represents farmers from across the archipelago.
The farmers called on people not to vote for corrupt
politicians in the upcoming election nor to vote for politicians
who ignored the interests of farmers.
Ragil Sugiarna, the protest coordinator, said that the protest
was a follow-up to the recent AGRA conference in Yogyakarta.
"The conference, attended by farmers' representatives in 45
regencies nationwide, recommended land reform and mass action
against crooked politicians," he said.