Danang Triatmojo, Jakarta – N, one of the participants at the village action (aksi kamping) has stated that he and several other civil society activists would continue to set up tents in front of the House of Representatives' (DPR) Pancasila Gate in Jakarta for as long as possible until their demands are met.
The village action is a form protest to articulate their rejection of and demand for the revocation of revisions to the Indonesian Military Law (RUU TNI). N and the other activists claim that they were not afraid of various attempts at forced dispersal by security forces, whether they be the police, DPR security officers or other security personnel.
"We will stay here as long as possible, until the RUU TNI is revoked. Until we win", said N when speaking to Tribunnews in front of the Pancasila Gate on Jalan Gelora in Jakarta on Tuesday April 15.
Yesterday, on Monday evening, there was an attempt to disperse the protest by the police. The protesters who stayed overnight and set up tents at one of the vehicle entrances and exits were asked to disperse and remove their tents on the pretext that the time limit for publicly expressing opinions had expired.
"We were staying here, but they (the police) came in with the pretext that we had run out of time to express our opinions. They labelled us like that, so yesterday they came in here and tried to disperse us", said N, who was wearing a mask.
Currently, there are two tents left standing on the sidewalk on Jalan Gelora, right in front of the DPR Pancasila Gate. The number of tents and protesters involved in the peaceful demonstration was greatly reduced after Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers from the Jakarta Provincial Government's moved in and forcibly removed the demonstrators' tents.
N said that at least six tents belonging to participants in the demonstration were taken away by Satpol PP officers. The protesters also plan to demand compensation for the actions of the Jakarta Satpol PP because they are not in accordance with their main duties and functions.
"There were six tents yesterday that were taken away by the Satpol PP, and we plan to ask for compensation", he said.
N himself emphasised that the action they are taking is a collective action as individuals to unite and voice their opinions regarding the revisions to the TNI Law and the demand that the DPR to revoke the ratification of the law.
They will remain there as long as possible until the revisions of the TNI Law are revoked by President Prabowo Subianto or the DPR withdraws the revised law which has been submitted to Prabowo and is awaiting approval from the president.
North also invited other civil society activists who want to join them to come and fight together to voice their opposition to the revisions to the TNI Law by camping out in front of the DPR building. "So, the masses who want to join us, please come here, we are very open, and show your form of expression whatever it is", said N.
Based on Tribunnews' observations on Tuesday afternoon, the demonstrators were carrying out their activities as usual amidst the flow of vehicles coming and going from the Senayan parliamentary complex.
Each of them has also equipped themselves with masks to prevent their faces from being identified or simply to prevent the potential for unwanted incidents targeting the tent participants.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the tent action, the Pancasila Gate which is the entrance to the parliament complex from Jalan Gelora, was tightly guarded by officers from the paramilitary Mobile Brigade (Brimob), the special operations unit of the Indonesian National Police tasked with handling threats to public security and order.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Massa Aksi Akan Terus Berkemah di Depan Gerbang DPR Sampai Revisi UU TNI Dibatalkan".]
