Rudy Polycarpus, Jakarta – Commemorating the second year of the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice President Boediono, around 500 students from the National Student League for Democracy (LMND), the Indonesian National Student Movement (GMNI) and the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII) protested in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday October 20.

In speeches the students called on Yudhoyono to resign from the presidency because he has failed to resolve a number of national problems. Not only that, Yudhoyono and Boediono are the source of the country’s disasters because of their pro-corruptor policies.

“The State Palace is a nest of corruptors because [they] are busy dividing up the cake of power and lobbying with the mafia in this country”, said Agus Priyatnto from LMND.

The students also said that the Yudhoyono-Boediono leadership has been incapable of solving the Indonesian people’s problems and is simply an extension of foreign interests. Up until now, said Priyatnto the Yudhoyono-Boediono administration has sided with foreign capital and as a result strategic sectors of the national economy are controlled by the tentacles of foreign corporations.

“For example, under the Capital Investment law, foreigners are given full latitude to exploit Indonesia’s natural resources for decades”.

During the action, the students brought a number of banners with messages such as “The SBY-Boediono regime of corruptors” and “Failed state”. In addition to giving speeches, the protesters also held a theatrical action in which they handcuffed both hands to symbolise that the ordinary people are not yet free from poverty. (OL-8)

Source: Peringati Dua Tahun Pemerintahan SBY-Boediono, Mahasiswa Turun ke Jalan – mediaindonesia.com. Kamis, 20 Oktober 2011

 [Translated by James Balowski.]