TNI Explains Why Troops Were Sent to Jakarta Student Rally

7 hours ago 5

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) said its personnel were deployed to assist in securing a student-led protest in Central Jakarta on Friday, June 12, 2026, following a request from the National Police (Polri).

Brig. Gen. Muhammad Nas, head of the TNI Information Center, said the military's involvement was carried out under established security coordination procedures.

"The security assistance was requested by and provided to the police in accordance with existing mechanisms," Nas told Tempo on Friday.

The statement came after hundreds of students from a University of Indonesia (UI)-led alliance were prevented from reaching Jakarta's Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout, where they planned to hold a demonstration under the banner #IndonesiaMenujuBangkrut ("Indonesia Heading Toward Bankruptcy").

The students, who had traveled from the University of Indonesia campus in Depok, were stopped by security forces near the Thamrin Nine complex in Central Jakarta. Their buses had earlier been prevented from continuing toward the HI Roundabout, forcing participants to proceed on foot from the Semanggi area.

By mid-afternoon, hundreds of students had gathered near Thamrin Nine but were unable to advance further after being met by rows of police and military personnel. Security forces formed barricades blocking access to the roundabout, prompting protesters to chant, "Open the road."

Tempo sought comment from Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Budi Hermanto regarding the blockade, but he had not responded as of publication.

Students Reject Alternative Protest Site

UI Student Executive Board (BEM UI) chair Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan said more than 1,000 students were expected to participate in the rally. The protesters traveled from Depok aboard buses organized into 16 groups.

According to Yatalathof, police instructed the students to relocate the demonstration to the parliamentary complex. The organizers rejected the proposal and insisted on proceeding to the HI Roundabout.

"We refuse. We are still trying to hold the demonstration at the HI Roundabout," he said.

Yatalathof said the students deliberately chose the HI Roundabout rather than the Presidential Palace or the House of Representatives (DPR) complex because they no longer trust those institutions to respond to public concerns.

He argued that Parliament has become too closely aligned with the executive branch and is no longer an effective channel for public aspirations.

"Now, it is merely an administrative counter for the executive," he said.

Five Key Demands

The protest was organized by a coalition that includes BEM UI and its 15 faculty student councils, the student executive boards of IPB University, Jakarta State Polytechnic (PNJ), Pancasila University, and Gunadarma University, as well as several student organizations including the National Student Front (FMN), Pembebasan, and Semar UI.

Yatalathof said the coalition would raise five key demands: an end to what it describes as wasteful state spending; lower prices for basic goods and fuel; the termination of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and the Red and White Village Cooperative initiative; an end to militarization in civilian affairs; and for President Prabowo Subianto to acknowledge and take responsibility for government policy failures.

"Stop militarism in civilian life, and finally, Prabowo must stop evading responsibility and acknowledge the government's mistakes," he said.

Ricky Juliansyah contributed to the writing of this article.

Read: Zulhas Reveals MBG Kitchen Overrun Wastes Rp1tn Monthly

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Amnesty Calls for Military Withdrawal From Jakarta Protest

1 jam lalu

Amnesty Calls for Military Withdrawal From Jakarta Protest

Amnesty said the large-scale deployment of police and military personnel in public spaces can have an intimidating effect on civilians.

UI Students Skip DPR Protest Over Loss of Trust in Parliament

1 jam lalu

UI Students Skip DPR Protest Over Loss of Trust in Parliament

Student says the DPR and the government have become indistinguishable in their policy positions.

UI Student: Police Laughed at Requests to Reopen Protest Route

2 jam lalu

UI Student: Police Laughed at Requests to Reopen Protest Route

Massive student rally from the University of Indonesia was confronted by the police on their way to the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout (HI) area to hold a demonstration. The movement of the students is currently detained around the Semanggi area.

Why Police Urge Students to Move the HI Roundabout Protest

2 jam lalu