TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai stated that the roadblock set up by joint military-police forces against students marching in the "Menuju Indonesia Bangkrut" (towards Indonesia's bankruptcy) rally complied with existing regulations.
He explained that the interception was carried out to prevent students from demonstrating in the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout area, in line with Jakarta Governor Regulation Number 232 Year 2015 concerning the Management of Public Expression in Public Spaces.
"There are clear regulations regarding demonstrations in business zones and traffic areas. There were no violations by the authorities involved in the blockade," Pigai said at the Parliament Complex on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
He emphasized that he supports the students' right to express their opinions in public. However, he noted that during such activities, it is equally important to acknowledge the legal allowances for authorities to impose specific restrictions.
According to Pigai, within the framework of human rights, the Siracusa Principles authorize authorities to implement restrictions based on certain considerations, such as protecting the HI Roundabout area, which is an epicenter for business and traffic.
Under this principle, he said, both the demonstrators and the on-duty authorities share a mutual responsibility to respect civil rights, which includes maintaining public order.
"So, it is in accordance with the Siracusa human rights principles that demonstrations cannot be held at this specific location, but only at another point, considering traffic congestion or other strategic factors. Nevertheless, I appreciate the students for continually voicing the rights of the community," the former National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner added.
The Siracusa Principles govern the limitation and derogation of human rights provisions within the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This framework dictates that while freedom of expression is restricted from being used to incite war, spread hatred, or discriminate based on religion, ethnicity, and race, it must also not compromise national order.
However, in their implementation, the Siracusa Principles stipulate that any restrictions placed on civil and political matters must strictly be non-discriminatory; furthermore, such limitations must only be applied when responding to an urgent social need for legitimate purposes, such as protecting national security, public safety, public order, public health, public morals, or the rights and freedoms of others.
Students participating in the "Menuju Indonesia Bangkrut" rally found themselves blocked by joint military-police (TNI-Polri) forces as they attempted to make their way toward the demonstration site at the HI Roundabout.
Chairperson of the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM UI) Yatalathof Ma'shum Imawan, who took part in the march, stated that authorities began intercepting the crowd the moment they arrived in the Semanggi area. The blockade line then moved further up in front of the Thamrin Nine Building.
The Head of the Public Relations Division of the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, clarified the reasoning behind the police decision to deny the students access to the HI Roundabout.
He stated that according to Jakarta Governor Regulation Number 232 Year 2015 concerning the Management of Public Expression in Public Spaces, the HI Roundabout area is explicitly barred from serving as a demonstration site.
He pointed out that the entire area spanning from the Senayan Roundabout, Semanggi, and the HI Roundabout, all the way to the Arjuna Wijaya Horse Statue area in Central Jakarta, serves as the city's primary artery for business and transit, meaning any protest there would trigger severe gridlock. "If the main roads in Jakarta become congested, then other daily community activities will be disrupted. So, that is what we need to convey to the public and our younger student counterparts," Budi said at the HI Roundabout area.
Hendrik Yaputra contributed to this article.
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