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Medan, Indonesia – More than 1,000 protesters took to the streets of Medan, North Sumatra on Thursday, as tensions rose in Indonesia following the passage of a controversial “blanket law” earlier this week that protesters fear will destroy jobs instead of create them.
Protesters clashed with riot police at various locations in the city, when authorities deployed tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to quell the unrest. Clashes also broke out in the streets of the capital Jakarta as thousands marched through the archipelago.
“It is a climax of protest due to anger and frustration that the parliament and government do not listen to people, workers, students and social movements in Indonesia,” said Damai Pakpahan, representative of Protection International, an NGO that stands up for human rights activists, he told Al Jazeera.
The blanket law, which became law on October 5, has been targeted by unions since it was first proposed, ostensibly to simplify Indonesia’s complex legal system and facilitate foreign investment. Hailed as a boon to the economy by some, critics of the legislation say it is exploitative for workers and potentially destructive to the environment.
“The omnibus law sets up a red carpet for corporations to extract the country’s natural resources with minimal, if not zero, obstacle,” said Usman Hamid, director of Amnesty Indonesia.
Bank Indonesia bus stop is badly damaged and reportedly now burned by protesters of the job creation law in Jakarta (8/10). The rail operator said MRT operations were temporarily halted at Bundaran HI to Asean stations due to safety concerns. pic.twitter.com/LBl6cr8I47
– Resty Woro Yuniar (@restyworo) October 8, 2020
Anger over the new bill, which many believe was passed by parliament compared to bills like the bill against sexual violence and the law for the protection of domestic workers, which have languished for years and, sometimes decades, has injured protesters and police.
Excessive force
However, some have criticized the use of force by protesters and local authorities, as images have circulated on social media of protesters throwing stones and other projectiles at police, throwing Molotov cocktails and setting tires on fire. , furniture and bus stops.
In Medan, protesters threw stones at the Legislative Assembly building, directly hitting some policemen in the process. “We ask [the public] be orderly in the transmission of your aspirations. You will be monitored, whoever commits anarchist actions will be treated firmly. There is CCTV watching them all, ”said Riko Sunarko, Medan Police Chief, through a loudspeaker.
Experts say Indonesians have little choice but to protest to show their grievances against the government. [Tonggo Simangunsong/Al Jazeera]
“The fact that the police have used tear gas and violence, such as hitting and kicking protesters, is very disturbing and disturbing,” Amnesty’s Hamid told Al Jazeera. “The police must stop the use of excessive force. According to our records, at least 180 protesters in Bandung, West Java, were injured and 24 students in Serang, Banten also suffered injuries, including a concussion. This cannot be justified. “
Indonesia has a long history of street protests, many of which often turn violent, in part because there are few other ways to express criticism of government policies.
“With so few institutional avenues to channel complaints in a substantive way, and with political parties that do not have strong constituencies, street demonstrations, mobilizations and riots have long been a key mode of political communication and protest for the Indonesian working class, ”Ian Wilson, a senior professor of politics and security studies at Murdoch University, told Al Jazeera.
Much of the anger that protesters feel is related to the precarious economic situation currently felt in Indonesia, as the bus law is intended to boost foreign investment. In Medan, the Accumulation of Anger of People’s Workers union (AKBAR) organized a peaceful demonstration in the city, with its representative Martín Luis telling the crowd that, “They [the government] deliberately conspiring with foreigners to steal our wealth. “
The coronavirus pandemic is not helping the situation.
“The scope, scale and ferocity of the demonstrations across the country in response to the bus law reflects the anxiety and anger that is spreading across broad sectors of Indonesian society. Many people across the country are already experiencing significant financial difficulties and uncertainty as a result of the pandemic, ”Wilson said.
“This has served to compound outrage at the laws’ real potential to undermine hard-won conditions and protections for workers.”
Call for calm
Lawmakers have been calling for calm after days of civil unrest.
Police in riot gear used water cannons and tear gas while protesters threw stones [Tonggo Simangunsong /Al Jazeera]
Ranto Sibarani, a Medan-based human rights lawyer, told Al Jazeera that there are appropriate legal channels through which to challenge the new bus law and that protesters should avoid putting themselves on the wrong side of the law.
“Protesting is a right because Indonesia is a democracy and therefore it is not a crime, but attacking the police and destroying property is clearly a crime,” he said.
He also added that children and adolescents should not get involved in protests, particularly if they were participating in attacks on the police. On the streets of Medan, many of the protesters appeared to be young teenagers, several of whom were detained by the authorities.
“We have the option of requesting a judicial review in the constitutional court,” Sibarani said. “There are legal precedents for this that make this the best opportunity to challenge the bus law if people find it oppressive.”
There is talk of more demonstrations on Friday, but after three days of protests and clashes, there are also signs of a change within the Indonesian government.
Several regional governors, including Ridwan Kamil (West Java), Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (Yogyakarta) and Sutarmidji (West Kalimantan) have expressed concern about the bill. On his Facebook page, Sutarmidji urged Indonesian President Joko Widodo to retract the law to avoid further unrest.
“A good law must be in accord with the sense of justice that grows and flourishes in society,” he said.
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