“Dynasty Politics” of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo Rejected by Students
By Egi Adyatama for Tempo.co, December 31, 2023
Since the early days of November 2023, Afiq Naufal and Melki Sedek Huang have been meeting frequently at an Acehenese cafe in South Jakarta. The Secretary-General of the Paramadina University Student Union, and the inactive Chair of the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board, can spend hours discussing plans for a demonstration rejecting the Joko Widodo dynasty.
“Sometimes we meet from morning till night,” said Afiq on December 29, 2023. They also engaged with representatives from other campuses in the network of the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board, including the Chair of the Family Student Executive Board of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Mr. Gielbran Muhammad Noor.
The discussion was prompted by the Constitutional Court decision on October 16, 2023, allowing regional heads under the age of 40 to run for president or vice president. The ruling rolled out the red carpet for President Joko Widodo’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to run with presidential candidte Prabowo Subianto.
The students consider the Constitutional Court’s decision a threat to democracy in this nation. They perceive President Joko Widodo’s son Gibran to have received special privileges. “To reach his current position, laws were easily changed. This is dangerous for democracy,” said Afiq.
They help discussions with various activists and experts from different fields, ranging from the 1998 democracy activist Mr. Ubedillah Badrun, constitutional law expert Ms. Bivitri Susanti, election activist Ms. Titi Anggraini, economist Mr. Faisal Basri, to the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Mr. Usman Hamid. These discussions fortified the students’ determination to oppose Joko Widodo’s political dynasty.
The All-Indonesia Student Executive Board had already organized a demonstration four days after the Constitutional Court’s ruling, on October 20, 2023, at the “Arjuna Wiwaha” statue in Central Jakarta. Attended by hundreds, the action was regarded as somewhat subdued. They then formulated a different new action, staging a Youth Pledge 2.0.
This action took place on November 22, 2023, at the “Joang ’45” Building in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Dozens of students from various universities attended, dressed in black. They delivered speeches while holding corn as a symbol of resistance.
This idea stemmed from discussions between Melki Sedek Huang and Afiq Naufal. They were inspired by the pro-Palestine actions that used watermelons as symbols of resistance. Such symbols were thought of as being more acceptable to the public.
“For us, this also symbolizes Indonesia’s democracy still being in its infancy,” Melki told Tempo Magazine on December 28, 2023.
Subsequently, Afiq, Melki, and Gielbran Muhammad Noor embarked on a tour of various campuses, especially on Java Island, to build support. They utilized funds from campuses and occasionally their personal finances.
It wasn’t easy to rally other student executive board executives to act together. Besides the approach of the end-of-year holidays, some were concerned that the movement would be hijacked for specific political interests. Nevertheless, there was a positive response. On November 29, 2023, representatives from campus student executive boards across Indonesia protested in front of the Monumen Serangan Umum 1 Maret (March 1 General Attack Monument) in Yogyakarta.
This demonstration triggered the Save Democracy Student Movement at the “17 August 1945” University in Surabaya on December 6, 2023. Hundreds of students from various campuses in the City of Heroes, as Surabaya is often known, came and denounced Joko Widodo’s political dynasty. Unlike the action in Yogyakarta, students in Surabaya did not bring corn.
The coordinator for student executive boards of universities in Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, Raafila Andya, didn’t want to be left behind. He encouraged students to demonstrate in Solo, a city led by Gibran Rakabuming Raka as Mayor for the past nearly three years. “We in Solo have the same concerns,” said the law student from “Slamet Riyadi” University on December 28, 2023.
Dozens of students affiliated through the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board carried corn when they staged an action in front of Solo City Hall in Central Java province on December 18, 2023. According to Raafila, the student movement in Solo was rather weak. However, the plan to reject Joko Widodo’s political dynasty received a warm reception from the Greater Solo Alliance of Student Executive Boards. They also agreed to bring corn.
Preparations for the demonstration were haphazard. Raafila admitted to only looking for corn shortly before the action on December 18, 2023. Corn vendors near Balapan Station were surprised when students arrived to buy 25 corn cobs. However, the vendor even provided an extra 20 corn cobs as they supported the demonstration.
The action was staged in front of the Solo City Hall in the afternoon. The students began with harsh criticism of the President’s political dynasty. Following that, they focused on criticizing various unresolved policies of Mayor Gibran relating to the city of Solo. “If he genuinely wants to govern the country, he’s better resolve these issues in Solo first,” said Raafila.
Visiting the home of Gadjah Mada University deputy chancellor Arie Sudjito in the city of Sleman in Yogyakarta province on December 4, 2023, Gielbran Muhammad Noor asked for permission to stage a public discussion. The topic was to revolve around criticizism of the political dynasty of President Joko Widodo, also a Gadjah Mada University alumni. However, the chair of the Family Student Executive Board of the University doubted whether he would get the support.
Surprisingly, deputy chancellor Arie was the one who inquired about the discussion plans. “He expressed strong support,” Gielbran told Tempo Magazine on December 27, 2023. Arie advised that the substance of criticism should be robust to prevent the discussion being exploited for the political interests of the other presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Armed with Arie’s support, Gielbran submitted administrative paperwork for organizing the discussion to the chancery of the University. The 2019 Animal Science and Industry Department student didn’t encounter any difficulties in obtaining the necessary paperwork. Everything was processed swiftly.
The university even permitted the discussion to be held at the UGM campus roundabout. According to Gielbran, permissions for such events from the university’s administration were rarely granted. Especially if held at the UGM Roundabout. “Moreover, when we requested an extension for the event, the campus allowed it without requiring additional paperwork,” he said.
This support from the university emerged due to similar concerns. Arie Sudjito mentioned that in various discussions, many UGM lecturers had raised the Constitutional Court’s ruling. They perceived the decision, along with Joko Widodo’s move to pair Mr. Prabowo Subianto with running mate Mr. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as disregarding ethics. “This unease is understandable. Procedural truth is one thing, but ethical truth surpasses it,” said Arie.
The support for students from campuses also appeared in various other universities. In Jakarta, Paramadina University allowed its students to criticize the government. Didik Rachbini, the chancellor of Paramadina University, only advised his students not to violate the law during demonstrations.
Didik also reminded his students to be more cautious and avoid being exploited for specific political interests. “I am proud when students are critical of the socio-political situation,” said Didik on December 29, 2023.
At UGM, the discussion took place on December 8, 2023. The theme: “The Monarchic Regime of The Alumni: The Fall of Democracy, the Collapse of the Constitution, and the Strength of Dynastic Politics.” Three speakers were present: UGM lecturers Zainal Arifin Mochtar, as well as two former coordinators of the widely-respected human rights non-governmental organization the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Fatia Maulidiyanti, and Haris Azhar.
During the discussion, Gielbran presented a certificate titled “The Most Shameful UGM Alumnus” to an individual wearing a Joko Widodo mask, an alumnus of the Faculty of Forestry at UGM. The certificate was planned to be sent to the Presidential Palace. “We’ll just send it by mail because we are lazy. There are plenty of rats there (at the Presidential Palace),” Gielbran quipped.
The UGM Family Student Executive Board also displayed a banner with the same title within the campus premises. On December 11, 2023, President Joko Widodo commented on the title of the most shameful alumnus. “I have already reminded people, we have Javanese etiquette ethics,” said Joko Widodo in Pademangan, North Jakarta.
The actions of Gielbran and his peers has triggered a public response. On social media, Gielbran was attacked by various social media accounts. The ninth-semester student anticipated this. However, he regretted that the criticism shifted to the personal realm, such as his grades at university and family background. “There seems to be an agenda to divert from the main issue,” said Gielbran.
A few days after the discussion, he received information that the Dean of the Faculty of Animal Sciences at UGM had been visited by individuals claiming to be intelligence officers, seeking Gielbran’s personal data. However, as these individuals arrived without a warrant, the dean’s office refused their request.
Authorities also visited Gielbran’s hometown in Sragen in Central Java province. Meeting the head of the local sub-village neighborhood authority, they requested a meeting with Gielbran’s father. “But my Neighborhood Head stopped them,” said Gielbran.
Reports of intimidation against Gielbran were also heard by the university authorities. UGM Secretary Andi Sandi Antonius Tabusassa Tonralipu said that the university had offered protection to Gielbran, such as providing a safe house. “However, he said he currently doesn’t need protection,” said Andi on December 28, 2023.
Intimidation has also been targeted at the inactive Chair of the Student Executive Board of the University of Indonesia, Melki Sedek Huang. Someone claiming to be from the police visited Melki’s house in Pontianak, West Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo, after the protest in Jakarta on October 20, 2023. The individual reportedly inquired about Melki’s activities and about his mother.
The West Kalimantan provincial police chief Inspector General Pipit Rismanto denied allegations that his subordinates have intimidated Melki’s family. However, Melki remains undaunted, declaring his commitment to continue rejecting Joko Widodo’s political dynasty. “If anyone expects this case to make me afraid and less militant, that assumption is entirely wrong,” said Melki.
By Egi Adyatama for Tempo Magazine. Francisca Christy Rosana, Fajar Pebrianto, Shinta Maharani from Yogyakarta, and Hanaa Septiana from Surabaya contributed to this article. In the print edition, this article was published under the title “Young Corn Against the Dynasty.”
This article is based on https://majalah.tempo.co/read/nasional/170598/aktivis-mahasiswa-politik-dinasti
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