REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Thousands of college students in 50 cities in Indonesia held a demonstration on Friday (May 26), demanding the Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief to resign. They protested against a number of repressive actions in handling KAMMI's rally in front of Merdeka Palace on Wednesday (May 23).
Chairman of KAMMI ( Indonesian Muslim Students Action Union) Kartika Nur Rakhman said reformation of police institution had been failed. Polices became a new tiranny in law enforcement in Indonesia.
"We held it in 50 cities, except Jakarta, as they were still mourning for the bombing. With the action, KAMMI would fight tiranny of law by executive and judicative state apparatus.
He insisted that the police should stop double standards in dealing with people's aspiration. Students and societies had been restless with double standard for it could not been tolerated.
Rakhman said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President Jusuf Kalla should be serious in improving Indonesian police ethics and performance.
It was started by giving firm actions to dismiss Central Jakarta Police Chief and Jakarta Metro Police Chief. It was a sanction and learning so there were no repressive action from apparatus in handling demonstration.
"If they were not be dismissed, there would be a justification that President Jokowi justified it and involved in repressive action and violation by police," said him.
Chairman of Public Policy Unit of KAMMI Riko Tanjung said there would not be violence if the police were not discriminative and repressive in handling the demonstration, as university students was a keeper of national stability and demonstration.
"This is a historical task to be implemented by the students. Police repressiveness to colleges was an anti-democration action and a threaten for national stability. This should be stopped," said Riko.