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Jakarta Post

Street protest is a right, but ...

The country has been witnessing a series of massive street protests in the past week

The Jakarta Post
Sat, May 24, 2008

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Street protest is a right, but ...

The country has been witnessing a series of massive street protests in the past week. The message is clear: demanding the government not increase the fuel price as planned.

The protests, mostly organized by university students, are indeed part of the liberal expression of elements in society whose interests and aspirations are contradictory to government policy.

There is nothing wrong with the protesters' acts as they are granted under both the 1945 Constitution and the Law on the Freedom of Expression.

But it is the way the protesters deliver their message that concerns us most. Too frequently, if not always, their acts have prompted severe traffic jams. In other circumstances, they have gone too far, forcefully asking to meet the targeted officials in person, attempting to enter building compounds by force, and during a recent rally outside the Presidential Palace, throwing Molotov cocktails.

In other words, the street protests have violated the guidelines set in the law on the freedom of expression and the most important thing is transgressing the rights of other parties -- who are not involved in the protests -- who deserve smooth traffic and protection from violent acts.

We can imagine how many hours Jakartans have lost because of severe traffic jams whenever there is a street protest in the capital city. In business and financial terms, this means how much additional money businesspeople have to cover because of a delay in the transportation of goods and services, or the amount of extra money motorists have to pay for their gasoline when they are stuck in a terrible traffic jam, or how many investment opportunities are lost because multinational corporations are hesitant to invest their money here due to uncertainties, especially in the smooth transportation of goods and services.

It is therefore understandable for the police and security forces to take firm action against violent acts of protesters that may endanger police officers and other people.

Perhaps it is advisable for the protesters to fully comprehend and refresh themselves of the substance of the 1998 law, which was enacted five months after the transfer of power from Soeharto to B.J. Habibie. The law came into force amid widespread street rallies, frequently violent ones, days after Soeharto stepped down.

The law, which replaced the much more restrictive presidential decree of Soeharto, does put certain limits on street rallies as a means of expression by making them subject to a number of requirements.

Some articles in the law require organizers of street demonstrations to notify the authorities, at least three days in advance, of the predicted number of protesters and of the routes of the rally. But one thing for sure is that no official permits are required anymore.

Besides the commitment to fully comply with all the requirements stipulated in the 1998 law, it is perhaps the correct time to consider alternatives for the protesters in channeling their aspirations and opposition to government policies using methods other than street rallies, no matter how legitimate they might be, especially when such rallies may bring more losses than benefits.

Another aspect to consider is that street rallies, especially the massive ones, have in the past been used as an effective medium to bring a ruling government down. At least the country's first two presidents -- Sukarno and Soeharto -- both experienced the impact of massive street rallies. They both eventually quit the presidency after days of street rallies across the country.

It is high time for Indonesians to avoid such past practices for changing the state leadership to the more modern, constitutional means: the five-yearly democratic election.

A good example of an effective means to channel the people's aspirations is by establishing a special, prominent place for protesters to voice their aspirations and criticisms along the lines of the United Kingdom's Hyde Park, one of the largest parks in central London, which is famous for its Speaker's Corner. The 1.4-square-kilometer park itself has become a traditional location for mass demonstrations.

In comparison, Jakarta has a number of big parks that could be used as the site for staging mass protests, such as the National Monument (Monas) Park and the Lapangan Banteng Park, both about half the size of Hyde Park. The two parks, both in Central Jakarta, have in the past been popular locations for mass demonstrations and gatherings.

There are a number of lawful ways to voice your aspirations and criticisms. But Indonesians should move forward and choose the most appropriate ones.

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