Students lead 'Dark Indonesia' protests against budget cuts
Thousands of students staged 'Dark Indonesia' protests in cities across the country on Thursday against budget cuts and other policies of President Prabowo Subianto, fearing they will undermine social support systems and their futures.
Clad in black, about a thousand placard-carrying students in the major city of Yogyakarta marched through a busy thoroughfare, yelling out demands for change, four months after Prabowo took office following a landslide election win.
There were protests in other cities, including the capital Jakarta, and Medan on Sumatra island.
'Dark Indonesia' has gained traction on social media to represent concerns about the cuts. Another popular trend, 'Just Escape First', sees people sharing advice on how to escape to work and live overseas.
Herianto, a student leader in Jakarta, said students are protesting cuts in the education sector after Prabowo ordered a cost-cutting drive to free up around $19 billion that can be used to fund his policies, including a school lunch plan.
"Indonesia is dark because there are many policies that aren't clear to our society," said Herianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
"The cuts are designed to plug a hole in the free meal program expenses. Education is one of the things that could be impacted. Students are so angry."
Speaking at the protest in Jakarta on Thursday, state secretariat minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government had received the students' demands and would study them.
Prabowo's office has said the funding changes would not affect the education sector and teacher welfare, but with ministries cutting back a wide range of spending there are concerns that it could disrupt government services.
The students were also demonstrating against the military's move into civilian roles and a lack of subsidized cooking gas.
Prabowo remains broadly popular across the sprawling country, with his approval rating near 80% in surveys conducted by independent pollsters, including one last month by research firm Indikator Politik Indonesia.
Indikator executive director Burhanuddin Muhtadi told Reuters Prabowo's popularity could dip as the policies were rolled out, when the country's middle class had shrunk.
"If the government does not respond well to this issue, there can be anxiety from the middle class and could lower its popularity," he said.
The demonstrations were the biggest since last August, before Prabowo took office, when the parliament shelved plans to revise election laws after thousands of protesters took to the streets, setting fires and facing down tear gas and water cannon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Voice of America
14-03-2025
- Voice of America
ທ່ານ ປູຕິນກ່າວວ່າ ຢູເຄຣນ ຕ້ອງ 'ຍອມຈຳນົນ ຫຼືຕາຍ' ໃນຂະນະ ຣັດເຊຍ ກຳລັງເຂົ້າໃກ້ເມືອງເຄີຣກ
ປະທານາທິບໍດີ ວລາດີເມຍ ປູຕິນ ຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ກ່າວເມື່ອວັນພະຫັດວານນີ້ວ່າຣັດເຊຍໄດ້ກັກຂັງທະຫານຢູເຄຣນທີ່ເຫຼືອຢູ່ໃນພາກພື້ນເຄີຣກ ທາງຕາເວນຕົກຂອງປະເທດ ຊຶ່ງພວກເຂົາຍຶດຄອງໄວ້ໄດ້ດົນເຖິງ 7 ເດືອນເຊິ່ງເປັນນຶ່ງໃນສະ ໜາມຮົບທີ່ສຳຄັນທີ່ສຸດຂອງສົງຄາມ. ທ່ານ ປູຕິນ ກ່າວກັບນັກຂ່າວໃນນະຄອນຫຼວງມົສກູ ວ່າ ສະຖານະການໃນພາກພື້ນເຄີຣກ ' ຢູ່ພາຍໃຕ້ການຄວບຄຸມຂອງພວກເຮົາໂດຍສົມບູນ ແລະກຸ່ມທີ່ບຸກລຸກດິນແດນຂອງເຮົາຢູ່ໂດດດ່ຽວ' ຕາມການລາຍງານຂອງອົງການຂ່າວຣອຍເຕີສ. ຢູເຄຣນເປີດສາກບຸກໂຈມຕີເຂົ້າໃນພາກພື້ນເຄີຣກ ຢ່າງກະທັນຫັນເມື່ອເດືອນສິງຫາທີ່ຜ່ານມາເພື່ອຂັບໄລ່ກອງກຳລັງຣັດເຊຍ ອອກຈາກແນວໜ້າແລະຍຶດຄອງດິນແດນເພື່ອແລກປ່ຽນກັບດິນແດນທີ່ຢູເຄຣນຍຶດຄອງໄວ້ ຜູ້ບັນຊາການລະດັບສູງຂອງຢູເຄຣນປະຕິເສດ ໃນອາທິດນີ້ວ່າ ທະຫານຂອງຢູເຄຣນ ບໍ່ໄດ້ຖືກປິດລ້ອມ. ເມື່ອວັນພຸດທີ່ຜ່ານມາ ທ່ານ ປູຕິນ ໄດ້ໄປຢ້ຽມຢາມກອງກຳລັງໃນພາກພື້ນເຄີຣກທາງຕາເວນຕົກຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ແບບບໍ່ໄດ້ແຈ້ງໃຫ້ຊາບ ໂດຍສັ່ງໃຫ້ທະຫານຍຶດພຶ້ນທີ່ຄືນຈາກກອງກຳລັງຢູເຄຣນໂດຍໄວທີ່ສຸດ. ' ຫາກເກີດການປິດລ້ອມດ້ວຍກອງກຳລັງທະຫານ ໃນບໍ່ພໍເທົ່າໃດວັນຕໍ່ໜ້າ ຈະບໍ່ມີໃຜສາມາດລອດອອກໄປໄດ້ເລີຍ ຈະມີພຽງສອງທາງເລືອກເທົ່ານັ້ນ ຍອມຈຳນົນຫຼືເສຍຊີວິດ' ທ່ານປູຕິນກ່າວ ໃນການຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວເມື່ອວັນພະຫັດຕາມການລາຍງານຂອງອົງການຂ່າວຣອຍເຕີສ. ຢູ່ທີ່ກອງປະຊຸມຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ ທ່ານ ປູຕິນຍັງໄດ້ສະເໜີໃຫ້ການສະໜັບສະໜູນແຜນການຢຸດຍິງຂອງສະຫະລັດຢ່າງເຕັມທີ່. ຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຂອງ ທ່ານ ປູຕິນ ມີຂຶ້ນຫຼັງຈາກທີ່ຣັດເຊຍໂຈມຕີທາງອາກາດເມື່ອຄືນນີ້ ເຮັດໃຫ້ມີຜູ້ເສຍຊີວິດຢ່າງໜ້ອຍ 2 ຄົນ ໃນເມືອງ ເຄີຊອນ ທາງພາກໃຕ້ຂອງຢູເຄຣນ ເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ກ່າວ ໃນວັນພະຫັດວານນີ້. ຜູ້ປົກຄອງເມືອງ ເຄີຊອນ ທ່ານ ໂອເລັກຊານເດີ ໂປຣກູດິນ (Oleksandr Prokudin) ກ່າວໃນ ເທເລແກຣມວ່າ ພາກພື້ນຂອງທ່ານຖືກໂຈມຕີດ້ວຍໂດຣນ ແລະ ລູກປືນໃຫຍ່ຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ແລະມີຜູ້ໄດ້ຮັບບາດເຈັບອີກ 1 ຄົນ. ໃນເຂດພາກພື້ນ ດນີໂປຣເປຕຣອຟ ທີ່ຢູ່ໄກ້ຄຽງ ເຈົ້າເມືອງ ທ່ານ ເຊີຮີ ລີຊາກ ກ່າວວ່າ ມີຢ່າງໜ້ອຍ 3 ຄົນໄດ້ຮັບາດເຈັບ ແລ້ວເຂົ້າໂຮງໝໍຫຼັງຈາກຣັດເຊຍໂຈມຕີ ເມືອງ ດນີໂປຣ. ທ່ານ ລີຊາກ ກ່າວໃນເທລເແກຣມວ່າ ການໂຈມຕີດັ່ງກ່າວສ້າງຄວາມເສຍຫາຍໃຫ້ກັບອາຄານ ອາພາຕເມັ້ນຫຼາຍແຫ່ງ ລວມເຖິງປ່ອງຢ້ຽມຫຼາຍບານແຕກ. ເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ໃນພາກພຶ້ນ ຊູມີ ລາຍງານເມື່ອວັນພະຫັດວານນີ້ວ່າ ໂດຣນຂອງຣັດເຊຍ ຕົກລົງມາໃສ່ໂຮງລົດຊຸດນຶ່ງ ເຮັດໃຫ້ເກີດໄຟໄໝ້ໃນໂຮງລົດປະມານ 20 ແຫ່ງ. ກອງທັບຢູເຄຣນກ່າວເມື່ອວັນພະຫັດຜ່ານມາວ່າໄດ້ຍິງໂດຣນຕົກ 74 ລຳຈາກທັງໝົດ 117 ລໍາທີ່ກອງທັບຣັດເຊຍຍິງຕົກເມື່ອຄືນນີ້. ອ່ານຂ່າວເປັນພາສາອັງກິດ Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia had trapped the remaining Ukrainian soldiers in its western Kursk region, where they have held on for more than seven months in one of the most important battles of the war. Putin told reporters in Moscow that the situation in Kursk was 'completely under our control, and the group that invaded our territory is in isolation,' according to Reuters. Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Kursk last August to divert Russian forces away from the front lines and grab land to trade for its own occupied territory. Ukraine's top commander denied this week that his men were being encircled. Putin on Wednesday made a surprise visit to troops in Russia's western Kursk region Wednesday, ordering soldiers to swiftly retake the region from Ukrainian forces. 'If a physical blockade occurs in the coming days, then no one will be able to leave at all, there will be only two ways — to surrender or die,' Putin said at the Thursday press conference, according to Reuters. At the press conference, Putin also offered his qualified support for a U.S. ceasefire plan. Putin's comments came after Russian aerial attacks overnight killed at least two people in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, officials said Thursday. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram his region came under attack by Russian drones and shelling, and that one other person was injured. In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Serhiy Lysak said at least three people were hospitalized after a Russian attack hit the city of Dnipro. Lysak said on Telegram the attack damaged multiple apartment buildings, including blowing out windows. Officials in the Sumy region reported Thursday that Russian drones fell on a set of garages, setting about 20 of them on fire. Ukraine's military said Thursday it shot down 74 of the 117 drones that Russian forces launched overnight.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Deadly Russian aerial attacks hit Ukraine's Kherson region
Russian aerial attacks overnight killed at least two people in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, officials said Thursday. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram his region came under attack by Russian drones and shelling, and that one other person was injured. In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Serhiy Lysak said at least three people were hospitalized after a Russian attack hit the city of Dnipro. Lysak said on Telegram the attack damaged multiple apartment buildings, including blowing out windows. Officials in the Sumy region reported Thursday that Russian drones fell on a set of garages, setting about 20 of them on fire. Ukraine's military said Thursday it shot down 74 of the 117 drones that Russian forces launched overnight. The intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhia regions, the military said. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 77 Ukrainian drones, most of them in regions located along the Russia-Ukraine border. Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, said the attacks injured one person and damaged an industrial building, a communication tower and a power line. The Russia military said it destroyed 30 of the drones over Bryansk, while officials in the region reported no damage or casualties. Russian air defense also shot down drones over Kursk, Voronezh, Rostov and Belgorod, the military said. The daily aerial attacks continue amid a U.S. push to secure a ceasefire in the conflict. The U.S. has proposed a 30-day halt in fighting, which Ukraine has said it would accept. U.S. officials are expected to discuss the plan with Russian officials in the coming days. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Judge extends ban on Columbia student's deportation from US
A U.S. judge on Wednesday extended his order blocking federal authorities from deporting a detained Columbia University student, in a case that has become a flashpoint of the Trump administration's pledge to deport some pro-Palestinian college activists. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman had temporarily blocked Mahmoud Khalil's deportation earlier this week and extended the prohibition on Wednesday in a written order following a hearing in Manhattan federal court to allow himself more time to consider whether the arrest was unconstitutional. The Department of Homeland Security says Khalil, 30, is subject to deportation under a legal provision holding that migrants whose presence in the country are deemed by the U.S. Secretary of State to be incompatible with foreign policy may be removed, according to a document seen by Reuters. "The Secretary of State has determined that your presence or activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States," read the DHS document, dated March 9, ordering Khalil to appear before an immigration judge on March 27. The document did not provide additional detail. The DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Khalil's lawyers say his arrest on Saturday by DHS agents outside his university residence in Manhattan was in retaliation for his outspoken advocacy against Israel's military assault on Gaza following the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, a U.S.- designated terrorist group, and thus violated Khalil's right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. "Mr. Khalil was identified, targeted, detained and is being processed for deportation on account of his advocacy for Palestinian rights," Khalil's lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, said in court. In her first media interview, Noora Abdalla, Khalil's wife, told Reuters after the hearing she hoped her husband would be free and back in New York in time for the birth of their first child, who is due next month. "It's been so hard not having him here," she said. "There's a lot of emotions and pain. He's been there for me truly every step of the way." Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, Kassem told reporters that the legal provision DHS referred to was rarely used and was not meant to silence dissent. Khalil was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, becoming a permanent resident last year. He was a prominent member of Columbia's protest movement against Israel's military assault on Gaza. U.S. President Donald Trump has said on social media that Khalil supported Hamas, but his administration has not charged him with a crime and has not provided evidence to show Khalil's alleged support for Hamas. The Trump administration says pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, including Columbia, have included support for Hamas and antisemitic harassment of Jewish students. Student protest organizers say criticism of Israel is being wrongly conflated with antisemitism. "This is not about free speech," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters earlier on Wednesday during a trip to Ireland. "Being a supporter of Hamas and coming into our universities and turning them upside down ... If you told us that's what you intended to do when you came to America, we would have never let you in." Refusing to stay silent' The case could ultimately test where immigration courts draw the line between protected free speech and alleged support for groups the United States calls terrorists. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan, holding signs reading "Release Mahmoud Khalil" and chanting "Down, down with deportation, up, up with liberation." At the hearing, Brandon Waterman, a lawyer for the government, said Khalil's challenge to his arrest should be moved to New Jersey, where he was held when his lawyers first sought his release, or Louisiana, where he is currently being held. Furman also ordered that Khalil be allowed two hourlong private phone calls with his lawyers, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday, after Kassem said Khalil's sole phone call with a member of his legal team from detention in Louisiana so far was cut off prematurely and was on a line recorded and monitored by the government. Even before Furman blocked it, there was no indication Khalil's deportation was imminent. Khalil has the right to plead his case to avoid deportation before a separate judge in immigration court, a potentially lengthy process.
