Students Stage Demonstrations in Surabaya Today

Civil society groups in Surabaya, East Java, held a demonstration titled ‘Surabaya People Demand’ in front of the Grahadi State Building earlier this week on Monday (15/6). Today, Wednesday (17/6), thousands of students from the Surabaya Student Executive Board (BEM) Alliance are staging a large-scale protest at the same location, the official residence of the East Java Governor.

General Coordinator of the Surabaya BEM Alliance, Nasrawi Ibnu Dahlan from Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, stated that the action highlights government policies concerning the economy, democracy, the environment, and human rights. He said the protest is a form of moral responsibility for students to exercise social control over government policies.

‘Students cannot remain silent while the people are increasingly squeezed by various economic, democratic, environmental, and human rights issues. This action is our way of siding with the people’s interests and safeguarding the ideals of reform so they do not continue to regress,’ Nasrawi said.

Nasrawi emphasised that this protest will be a momentum for consolidating the student movement to remind the government to side with the people and govern transparently, democratically, and with social justice. The Surabaya BEM Alliance also urged all participants to maintain order, solidarity, and focus on the substance of their demands. Participants were asked to be vigilant against any form of provocation or infiltration that could undermine the students’ struggle.

‘We come with ideas and the people’s demands, not with the interests of any particular group. Therefore, all protesters must remain disciplined, solid, and alert to any provocation that could tarnish the student struggle,’ Nasrawi asserted.

The Surabaya BEM Alliance presented seven demands:

1. Urge the government to immediately lower fuel prices to stabilise staple goods prices and ease the economic burden on ordinary people.

2. Press the government to take tactical steps to rescue the depreciating rupiah exchange rate, and demand the dismissal of ministers or officials who have failed to manage the country.

3. Urge the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately pass the Asset Forfeiture Bill to impoverish corruptors, reject the resurgence of militarism and the dual function of the security apparatus, and demand the revocation of the TNI and Polri laws.

4. Reject environmental exploitation under the guise of National Strategic Projects (PSN), particularly the Surabaya SWL project, and demand the state protect the customary land rights of the Papuan people from oligarchs.

5. Urge the central and regional governments to restore ecosystems damaged by exploitation that harms local commodities and farmers’ livelihoods.

6. Demand a total evaluation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and KDMP programmes, as well as a transparent, well-targeted, and corruption-free aid distribution and mitigation system.

7. Condemn all forms of human rights violations and attempts to silence civil society.

Separately, the BEM and Student Alliance of Airlangga University (Unair) also held a demonstration at the same location, the Grahadi State Building, on Wednesday (17/6). Unair BEM President M Rizqi Senja Virawan said the action was initiated by Unair students to pressure the government to halt several national programmes deemed ineffective and burdensome to the state budget.

Rizqi stated that his group had conducted studies and compiled 16 demands for the protest. Among these, two main demands are the focus: stopping the Free Nutritious Meals programme and the Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (KDMP), and revoking the TNI and Polri laws.

‘We actually have 16 demands. But the main ones are to stop the Free Nutritious Meals programme and the Red and White Village Cooperatives. Then, revoke the TNI Law and the Polri Law. Those are the most important demands,’ Rizqi said when confirmed by CNNIndonesia.com on Tuesday (16/6).

Other demands include urging the acceleration of the deliberation and ratification of the Asset Forfeiture Bill and the Indigenous Peoples Bill, rejecting militarism and demanding the return of the military to its national defence function in accordance with the principle of civilian supremacy. BEM Unair also urged the state and security forces to cease all repressive actions against civil society and to unconditionally release all political prisoners.

Furthermore, the Airlangga Knights demanded that the state guarantee the welfare of educators, education personnel, and health workers, as well as halt all repressive actions against the press and guarantee press freedom as a pillar of democracy. They also demanded an apology to the people and a total evaluation of the performance of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.

The complete 16 demands of BEM Unair are:

1. Demand the strengthening of the integrity and independence of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

2. Urge the acceleration of the deliberation and ratification of the Asset Forfeiture Bill and the Indigenous Peoples Bill.

3. Reject militarism and demand the return of the military to its national defence function in accordance with the principle of civilian supremacy.

4. Stop the anti-criticism culture and guarantee freedom of expression in democratic life.

5. Thoroughly investigate alleged corruption in the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme involving government officials.

6. Thoroughly investigate the case of the issuance of fake Mining Business Permits (IUP) involving the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

7. Halt extractive projects that damage people’s living spaces and restore damaged ecosystems.

8. Stop the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (KDMP) programmes.

9. Demand an apology to the people and a total evaluation of the performance of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.

10. Unconditionally release all political prisoners.

11. Restore the independence of Bank Indonesia by prioritising competence and monetary expertise in its leadership structure.