Nearly 4,000 security forces guard Indonesian parliament amid student protests in Jakarta

INDONESIA 一 Jakarta Metro Police have deployed 3,983 personnel to secure a student demonstration organised by the All-Indonesia Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) outside the House of Representatives (DPR/MPR) complex in Central Jakarta on Monday, 5 October.

The joint force consists of personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police (Polri), Jakarta local government and internal security officers, known as Pamdal, according to Central Jakarta Metro Police public relations chief Commissioner Akhmadi.

“The joint security force comprising TNI, Polri, local government and internal security personnel totals 3,983 individuals,” Akhmadi said in a written statement on Monday, according to Indonesian news agency ANTARA.

Police have also prepared traffic management measures around the DPR/MPR complex. The arrangements will be implemented according to conditions on the ground, including the size and movements of the crowd.

People travelling through the area, particularly along Jalan Gatot Subroto, have been advised to exercise caution and use alternative routes to avoid congestion.

Four demands on education

BEM SI's demonstration, described as a national education action, centres on four demands concerning Indonesia's education system.

The first is a participatory and comprehensive discussion and revision of the National Education System Law (UU Sisdiknas). BEM SI is calling for wider participation in the process of revising the legislation, rather than limiting the process to the government and parliament.

The second demand is the implementation of free education. The student alliance is calling for free access from basic education through higher education, presenting education as a right that should be accessible regardless of a person's economic circumstances or location in Indonesia.

The third demand concerns the welfare of teachers and education workers. BEM SI is calling for improvements in their welfare, certainty and recognition, citing their role in providing education and supporting students.

The fourth concerns private universities (PTS). BEM SI is asking for guarantees that private higher education institutions can continue operating under policies aimed at providing free higher education.

The issue is significant for private universities because policies expanding free higher education could affect how institutions are financed and operate. BEM SI is therefore calling for the sustainability of PTS to be addressed as part of any free higher education policy.

The four demands were included in BEM SI's call for the 5 October action, which was scheduled to begin at about 1pm local time.

Previous DPR protest ended in arrests and injuries

The heightened security presence comes less than six weeks after a separate demonstration around the DPR/MPR complex on 27 August, when hundreds of people were detained after the protest developed into clashes and unrest around the parliamentary complex, Pejompongan and Slipi.

Jakarta Police said 322 people were detained for questioning following the unrest. Of these, 160 were under 18 and 162 were aged 18 to 40, according to police figures reported by ANTARA.

Police also said 45 people had initially been named suspects for alleged vandalism and assault, with the number later rising to 47 suspects as the investigation continued.

Police had also detained 65 people before the protest, including 63 handled by the general criminal investigation unit and two by the cybercrime unit. The police said the preventive action was intended to assess their possible involvement in planned disturbances.

Civil-society groups gave a higher overall figure.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) and the Democracy Advocacy Team (TAUD) said 387 people were arrested during the broader sequence of events, including 64 people detained before the protest and 322 during the demonstration. Their monitoring recorded 22 people injured, with injuries including bruises, cuts, puncture wounds, fractures and burns.

The groups also reported the death of Bambang Setiawan, a 59-year-old resident, during the unrest. Police separately said a man had been evacuated after losing consciousness and later died in hospital, while investigators were gathering information about the circumstances.

The unrest followed the dispersal of protesters on 27 August. Police said some groups remained in the area and attempted to damage the main DPR/MPR gate and set fires, prompting officers to use water cannon.

Fires were later reported at a police post in Slipi and near vehicles, while disruptions spread to roads and public transport routes.

Monday's BEM SI action is focused specifically on education policy, rather than the corruption and asset-forfeiture issues that featured prominently in the 27 August demonstration.

Police have nevertheless prepared a large joint force and said traffic arrangements around the DPR/MPR complex will be adjusted according to developments during the protest.