February 26, 2025 | 07:43 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto mentioned the slogan 'Indonesia Gelap' (Dark Indonesia) which has been voiced by thousands of students from various regions in the country over the past week. He scoffed at it during the closing of the Democratic Party Congress today.
Prabowo believes that Indonesia will become a country that is stronger and more prosperous by 2050. He said that Indonesia will surpass several advanced countries such as Japan and the UK by 2050.
"Indonesia will be above Japan, above the UK, above France, so why is Indonesia in the dark?" Prabowo said while playing with his lips when addressing the VI Democratic Congress at the Ritz Carlton South Jakarta on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.
The Head of State quoted the prediction of Indonesia's economic growth in 2050. According to Prabowo, Indonesia will be the fourth strongest economic power in the world. Indonesia ranks below China at number one, the United States at number two, and India at number three. "Indonesia is number 4 in 2050. In 25 years, I'll be 98 years old," he said.
Students and elements of society held a mass action entitled 'Indonesia Gelap' at the Horse Statue in Central Jakarta on February 17th, 20th, and 21st. The action voiced the hashtag 'Indonesia Gelap' as a form of public disappointment with the increasingly deteriorating condition of the country.
The demonstrations took place on Monday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. In addition to the Horse Statue, the demonstration also took place simultaneously in several regions of Indonesia, such as Bandung, Lampung, Surabaya, Malang, Samarinda, Banjarmasin, Aceh, and Bali.
There are several demands for the government brought by student elements who are members of the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI). One of them is to prosecute the former seventh president, Joko Widodo or Jokowi.
In the Tempo report entitled Aksi Indonesia Gelap: Konsolidasi Mahasiswa untuk Demonstrasi Akbar 20 Februari 2025 (Dark Indonesia Movement: Student Consolidation for the Grand Demonstration on February 20, 2025), Central Coordinator of BEM SI, Herianto, revealed that the student alliance will submit several demands to the government.
Some of the demands submitted include revoking Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2025, transparency of development status, transparency and evaluation of free nutritious meal programs, rejection of the Mineral and Coal Mining Law revision, rejection of military dual function, the enactment of the Asset Seizure Bill, as well as the demand to arrest and prosecute former president Jokowi.
"We believe that there is involvement of Jokowi in the failure of this government," said Herianto when contacted on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
The All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI) declared victory when State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi met with the demonstrators at Jalan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta on Thursday, February 20, 2025. The presence of the State Secretary minister stopped the students' anger, who had previously pushed the concrete barriers during the ongoing rally. "We prove today, the students at the Horse Statue today, win," said one of the speakers through a megaphone.
The presence of the State Secretary minister to meet with the demonstrators was on the orders of President Prabowo Subianto. The students refused to leave the location of the demonstration until the Presidential Palace met with them.
Prasetyo proudly claimed the demonstration carried out by the students because they dared to fight for their aspirations. "For me, what you are fighting for is part of what we have been fighting for," said Prasetyo, from the command vehicle of the demonstration.
Nabiila Azzahra and Hanin Marwah contributed to this report.
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