Thousands of protesters rally in Jakarta against haze, rising living costs - The Straits Times

Protesters at Jakarta’s iconic Bundaran HI roundabout on Oct 28.

JAKARTA – Thousands of protesters flooded Jakarta’s iconic Bundaran HI roundabout on Oct 28 to rally against the government’s response to haze, rising living costs, and alleged corruption among public officials.

The protest, which was held to coincide with Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day, included participants from various universities and civil society groups, part of a loose coalition united by the hashtag #IndonesiaSadar (#IndonesiaAwake).

One of the largest groups, spearheaded by the University of Indonesia student association, had five demands. The first, which was echoed by protesters in other cities across the country, was for the government to declare the forest fires that continue to burn in Sumatra and Kalimantan a national disaster.

“All eyes on karhutla”, referring to the Indonesian acronym for forest and land fires, was a common chant throughout the rally, and many protesters held up the three-fingered salute used in the Hunger Games movies, which has also been used in protests in Thailand and Myanmar.

One large banner held up by protesters read: “Disasters getting worse, life getting harder. What is the government doing?” It echoed a banner hung by Greenpeace Indonesia at the Welcome Statue on Oct 20.

Yuyun Santoso, a 23-year-old student at the Islamic State University Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan, said he and several other students from Palangkaraya travelled to Jakarta to join the protest.

“We have come today so that the Indonesian people know that Kalimantan is still burning,” he told reporters at Bundaran HI. “We want to make sure that our aspirations are heard on the national stage.

“Kalimantan has turned red. It’s that bad. The air we breathe now appears red. How could anyone possibly argue that the situation does not warrant being declared a national disaster?”

Government spokesperson Syahganda Nainggolan said in a statement on Oct 28 that the government respects the demonstrations as part of the effort to nurture democracy.

He added that the government continues to intensify its efforts to combat forest fires, including by deploying over 70,000 firefighting personnel as well as conducting investigations against corporations and individuals suspected to be involved in starting the fires.

“This indicates that the handling of forest and land fires is carried out through operational measures in the field, alongside legal action against parties suspected of being responsible,” Syahganda said.

Bundaran HI, a popular icon that marks the site of Jakarta’s oldest hotels, is located right in the centre of the city’s main thoroughfare, Jalan M.H. Thamrin. Student protesters have tried to rally at the roundabout before, most recently in August, but have always been stopped short by police blockades.

This time, protesters were able to reach Bundaran HI by splitting forces. “We want this nation to rise again, so we had to be brave and fight to make it here,” Vito, a University of Indonesia student, told The Straits Times.

But students were not the only ones present at the rally. Volunteer groups, largely made up of women, also joined in, providing snacks, drinks, trash bags, and even medical assistance for the protesters.

“We have attended a few rallies now. We usually hear about them on social media,” Vitri Sekarsari, 43, a member of one such volunteer group, told ST. “There isn’t really a formal leader, it’s truly just individuals coming together, all sharing a desire to empower one another and support this cause.”

Vitri said that her group, which she described as being made up of “ibu-ibu” or mothers, mostly contributed food and drinks.

“Most of the contributions we receive aren’t necessarily in the form of money; people actually show up in person, bringing supplies. Others place orders via food delivery apps or online services and have them sent directly to us,” she said.

She added that most of the people in the group did not know one another before meeting at Bundaran HI that afternoon, but shared the same concerns.

“We are facing a situation where forest and land fires – and the resulting smoke – simply never cease; many people have already fallen ill, and tens of thousands of children are suffering from acute respiratory infections,” she said. “Food prices are rising, mothers are really feeling the burden. And since we know that everyone is striving for change, we want to show our support.”

The rally was largely peaceful, though certain sections of protesters occasionally clashed with police as some were blocked from reaching the roundabout.

As dusk fell, protesters sang patriotic songs and recited the Youth Pledge, which declares allegiance to one motherland, one nation and one language – Indonesia.

Besides Jakarta, smaller protests were also held in several cities across Indonesia, including in Yogyakarta, Bandung in West Java, Malang in East Java, and Padang in West Sumatra.