How Do Indonesia's Youth See The Ongoing Nationwide Protests?

Indonesia is seeing a heavy nationwide protest after revelations of lawmakers $3,000 housing perks. Following this, a police crackdown has left several dead, as President Prabowo urges calm, but demonstrators refuse to back down. The Indonesian youth are on the streets fighting against their government and for their rights. The streets of Indonesia and social media reactions tell the story of how the youth of Indonesia visualize the current ongoing situation and the unrest.

In response to a story shared on social media, an Indonesian youth said, “Indonesian government vs Indonesian people, no different from Israel, but Indonesian government ‘Kill’ their own people.”

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While pointing out the reasons behind the ongoing unrest, the user kept the major reasons with the perspective of an insider and a citizen. Here are some of the key points raised by that young Indonesian social media user.

1. Hajj fund corruption, tens of thousands of people failed to depart despite waiting 14 years.
2. PPATK blocks a lot of Indonesian people bank suddenly.
3. Former corruptors receive extraordinary awards from President.
4. Billions of dollars wasted on fighter jets and submarines while millions remain poor and hungry.
5. Rising food prices because of mismanaged imports, crushing families who already struggle to eat.
6. Authoritarian attempts to silence critics and shrink
   our democratic space.
7. Endless elitist perks for officials, while hospitals, schools, and public transport are left behind.
8. Irrational increase salary and allowance budget for members of the House of Representatives (DPR).
9. All commodity prices and taxes increase irrationally.
10. The government’s free meal program has failed, causing a lot of students sick.
11. Government policies that always bring sorrow to the people.
12. Millions of hectares of Indonesian forests are constantly being “cleared” by the government.
13. Non transparent taxes.
14. The finance minister is targeting taxes from all aspects of life, including from small traders
15. health insurance (BPJS) continues to rise yet the quality of service is very bad.
16. Indonesian people’s data transferred to America (indonesian president barter to donald trumph).
17. Police brutality has led to a civilian killed after being run over by a Brimob vehicle (vehicle and brimob salary paid by our taxes).
18. Increased land and building tax (PBB) rates up to 250 percent in certain areas.
19. Our president’s inner circle, silence reigns. He is surrounded not by technocrats, but by loyalists. Not by professionals, but performers.
20. Indonesia now facing the biggest crisis of justice, of humanity, of democracy itself.

Another user while signifying the current situation justified the unrest and wrote, “What happens in Indonesia let it be a lesson and warning to rest of the world. When you hamper on citizens wellbeing, they will react. Their patience do hv limits. Even though what they did is not right but anger will boil and ugly”.

Similarly one more user while making sense with the ongoing uprising against the government institutions said, “The controversy is not simply about legislators’ inflated salaries. What makes it intolerable is the timing: the government is enforcing “efficiency measures” by slashing essential budgets for education, healthcare, and infrastructure, sectors that shape the future and wellbeing of millions. In stark contrast, legislators continue to insulate themselves with privilege”.

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While comparing the current situation of the country with French Revollution the user added further, ” Their behavior no longer reflects public service in a democracy but entitlement: special treatment, tone-deaf statements, arrogance, and an alarming inability to communicate with the people they claim to represent. The picture increasingly resembles the pre-revolutionary French elite, where the ruling bourgeoisie lived comfortably detached from the struggles of ordinary citizens. On performance, the picture is equally bleak. Legislatures worldwide are expected to function under measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) e.g legislation, budgeting, and oversight. Yet in Indonesia, their track record in each area is consistently weak. They struggle to produce high-quality laws, their oversight is minimal, and their budgetary role rarely translates into tangible benefits for society. Simply put, they fail to meet even the most basic standards of accountability. For this reason, the sudden push for higher compensation is not just illogical, it is provocative.”

The ongoing protests and social media reactions shows how the youth of the country is putting their demands to be fulfilled.