South Sumatra Students Stage Protest, Give Red Card to Prabowo and DPR

Hundreds of students from various organisations in South Sumatra gathered at the provincial parliament (DPRD) building on Monday, 15 June 2026. During the protest, they brandished red cards as a symbol of protest against several central and regional government policies they deemed not in favour of the people.

The action, held in the DPRD Sumsel courtyard, featured speeches from student representatives. They highlighted issues such as rising fuel prices and scarcity in South Sumatra, reduced regional fiscal transfers (TKD) to the province, the free nutritious meals programme (MBG), the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperative), and demands for the ratification of the Asset Forfeiture Bill.

Ilham, Regional Coordinator of the Nusantara Student Executive Board (BEM) for South Sumatra, stated that the students deliberately brought red cards as a stern warning to the government and the people’s representative body. “Today it is no longer a yellow card. We are giving a red card to the central government, the DPR, and all parties deemed to have failed in addressing the people’s problems,” Ilham said during his speech.

According to him, various national policies are now directly impacting the people of South Sumatra. He cited long queues for diesel fuel in several areas, the declining fiscal capacity of the region due to reduced TKD, and concerns over the implementation of the MBG programme and the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih.

The students then read out a document they called the “Asta Cita Mahasiswa Sumsel” (Eight Aspirations of South Sumatra Students), containing eight demands. These included calls for stabilising staple goods prices, rejecting fuel price hikes, safeguarding the rupiah exchange rate, urging the ratification of the Asset Forfeiture Bill, and condemning the practice of militarism in civilian spaces.

They also urged the South Sumatra DPRD not merely to accept the document of demands but to actively oversee and ensure these aspirations are conveyed to the national parliament and central government.

DPRD Sumsel Chairman Andie Dinialdie, who met with the protesters, expressed appreciation for the orderly demonstration. He affirmed that expressing opinions is a constitutionally guaranteed right of citizens. “We thank you for conveying your aspirations peacefully and orderly. We are committed to conveying the aspirations of our younger siblings to the relevant authorities,” he said.

However, he explained that most of the demands raised by the students fall under the authority of the central government and the national parliament, meaning the provincial DPRD lacks the direct authority to make decisions on them. Nonetheless, the DPRD opened space for student representatives to participate in overseeing the delivery of their aspirations to the central level.

The dialogue became somewhat tense when students demanded a firmer stance from the DPRD on several government programmes they considered problematic. One issue that received particular attention was the MBG and Koperasi Desa Merah Putih programmes.

Abdullah Taufiq, Secretary of the Gerindra Party faction in the DPRD Sumsel, acknowledged that the province’s fiscal condition is currently under pressure due to reduced TKD. “South Sumatra is indeed facing fiscal challenges. We are experiencing a shortfall in TKD of around Rp 1.8 trillion and are seeking various sources of regional revenue to cover this deficit,” he said.

Regarding the diesel scarcity and fuel queues highlighted by the students, Abdullah explained that the issue is linked to an imbalance between national demand and domestic oil production. As for the MBG and Koperasi Desa Merah Putih programmes, he affirmed the DPRD’s readiness to oversee their implementation. “If irregularities are found, we will certainly voice them. Our duty is to conduct oversight as representatives of the people,” he stated.

The protest concluded after the students handed over their document of demands to the DPRD Sumsel. Before dispersing, the crowd asserted they would continue to monitor the government’s response to their eight demands. “We will keep watching. If there is no change, the students will return to the streets,” said one representative of the protesters.