By : Made Prawira
Workers will demonstrate again on November 29, 2021, arguing that they are not satisfied with the increase in the provincial minimum wage. People reject it because they are very vulnerable to being ridden by provocateurs who can trigger anarchic actions and cause mass riots.
Indonesia is a democratic country and demonstrations are one way to express aspirations that are allowed. However, demonstrations during the pandemic are certainly not allowed because they create a crowd. This includes a labor demonstration that will be held from November 29 to 30, 2021.
The workers reasoned that the demonstration was done in solidarity and demanded, why was the Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) raised so small? Even though if you think about it, is it still fortunate that there is an increase in the UMP, rather than a decrease because of the pandemic? Workers should empathize, many entrepreneurs almost collapsed and even had to go into debt to pay their employees.
In addition to the reasons for the pandemic, labor demonstrations are also prone to provocation. Neta S Pane, Chair of the Presidium of Indonesia Police Watch stated that provocateurs are the enemy in labor demonstrations. In a sense, the workers must be aware that there are provocateurs who infiltrate and they deliberately ride the event, with certain intentions.
Provocateurs will deliberately play in dirty water to incite workers to do damage, for example by burning tires and destroying public facilities. A demonstration that begins peacefully can end in chaos, and can even trigger riots. If there are riots and brawls, provocateurs can use them to further mobilize the masses and move them closer to the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) building.
It is feared that there will be provocations like this which will lead to the ‘nostalgia’ of the 1998 incident. Even though the situation is very different. If in the past the masses demonstrated and overthrew power because the new order had been around for too long, now the theme is protesting workers’ salaries. However, the theme of the demo could be deflected because of the devil’s whispers from the provocateurs.
Provocateurs can fish in murky waters and continue to fuel the demonstrators to blaspheme the government and destroy public facilities. If chaos occurs, it is also feared that there will be mass theft, because the situation is already chaotic and full of emotions. Jakarta can be smoldering because of the labor demonstrations that are constantly being instigated by evil provocateurs.
Therefore, the authorities take care not to let there be a bad possibility like this. The reason is because it will be very detrimental to the community and also the government, because there will be many damaged public facilities. Even though it would cost a lot of money to rebuild it, but the workers didn’t want to be held responsible at all.
In order to prevent riots due to the labor demonstrations, from the beginning, the authorities emphasized that they would not give permission to the demonstrations. If the workers are still determined, they will be driven away. Apart from crowding and having to disperse, the masses must be divided so that the demonstration is cancelled.
Restrictions on movement are carried out not only near horse statues, Monas field, or state palaces. However, prevention of the arrival of demonstrators was also carried out at stations and terminals. So they will not be able to move to the location of the demonstration, because the authorities have been repelled from the start.
The demonstrators should not be angry when they are chased away by the authorities. First, the demo is clearly not licensed because it’s still a pandemic. Second, the demonstration can be ridden by provocateurs so that it can trigger chaos and endanger the community.
The labor demonstration, which will be held at the end of November 2021, did not receive permission from the start, because it was still during the pandemic. In addition, demonstrations can be prone to infiltration by provocateurs. So it is feared that there will be a major riot that will harm the government and society.
The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
