TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Executive Board of the University of Indonesia Student Council (BEM UI) has responded to President Prabowo Subianto's statement that protesters using the hashtags Dark Indonesia and Kabur Aja Dulu (Just Run Away First) were paid by corruptors. They consider the accusation a reflection of the leader's insensitivity to public aspirations.
"It's actually funny. It seems that Prabowo doesn't follow what's on TV, doesn't use social media, and also doesn't engage with the community," said Muhammad Sathir, Social and Political Coordinator of BEM UI 2025, during preparations for the #TolakRKUHAP (Reject the revision of the Criminal Law Procedures Code) protest at the University of Indonesia, Depok, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
"It's a shame that the president, who should be observing the current condition of the public, instead turns a deaf ear or has his ears covered by those around him," Sathir added.
Sathir emphasized that their protest was purely based on concern for the legislative process, which they deemed flawed in terms of public participation. He highlighted the discussion of thousands of Inventory of Problem Lists (DIM) within only two days, without meaningful public involvement.
"Prabowo's accusation that this protest is funded by corruptors is very painful," he said. "The public is genuinely working together to take action when there's a problem."
He viewed Prabowo's statement as an attempt to delegitimize the student and public movement as a whole. "Just because it doesn't align with what Prabowo desires, it's labeled as being funded by corruptors, foreign minions, or anything else," he remarked.
Sathir also expressed concern about the impact of such a statement on public perception. "They're afraid, and disappointed. Because for years, why have we been staging demonstrations? It's for the sovereignty of the people themselves," he explained.
He believes that if such a narrative continues to be pushed by those in power, individuals without adequate access to education or information will uncritically accept these opinions. "It's not just a problem for the student movement, but also the public movement that wants to stage demonstrations for the benefit of the public itself," Sathir concluded.
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