Petasan dan Water Cannon Meledek di Depan DPR Saat Aksi Tolak UU TNI

A peaceful protest against the revisions to the Indonesian Military Law and Police Law took place in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building, as well as the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and Regional Representative Council (DPD) of Indonesia. The protest, organized by a group called the Civil Society Coalition, concluded with some tensions.

Conclusion of the Protest

• End of Protest: The protesters began to disperse at 6:31 PM local time. Prior to the dispersal, there were reports of firecrackers and the use of water cannons.

• Police Instructions: The police urged the protesters to peacefully voice their opinions. They started directing the crowd to leave using crowd control vehicles and water cannons.

• Delay for Iftar: Initially, the protesters refused to disperse, citing that they were breaking their fast. In response, the police postponed their dispersal.

• Dispersal: After the sunset meal (iftar), upon further police instructions, most protesters started to leave. However, some individuals defied the orders and threw firecrackers towards the police.

• Police Action: To disperse the remaining crowd, the authorities used water cannons, causing some individuals to fall. The police escorted the protesters as they moved away from the DPR building towards the Jakarta Conventions Center (JCC) flyover.

Protest Details

• Organizers: The Civil Society Coalition organized the demonstration, displaying banners and distributing leaflets condemning the approval of Law No. 34 of 2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) by the DPR.

• Slogans and Messages: The banners and posters carried slogans such as “Military Personnel Are Greedy, What About the Active Ones!”, “Civilian Domain Only, Military Stay in the Barracks,” and “Return the Military to the Barracks’ Domain.”

• Legislative Action: The protest was a response to the House of Representatives’ official ratification of the amendment to the TNI law, turning it into a full-fledged statute. The decision was made during a plenary session attended by several ministers.

Legislative Attendance

• Date and Location: The plenary session took place on Thursday, March 20, in the plenary hall of the DPR building in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

• Officials Present: The session was chaired by the Speaker of the House, Puan Maharani, and attended by other officials, including the Minister of Defense, the TNI Commander, the Deputy Minister of Finance, and the Minister of State Secretariat.

Despite some tensions towards the end of the protest, including the use of water cannons by the police, the majority of demonstrators complied with the dispersal instructions and gradually left the vicinity under police escort.