Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Central Coordinator of the All-Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI), Muzammil Ihsan, strongly condemned the repressive actions of the North Sumatra police who arrested 44 students during a protest in front of the North Sumatra Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) building on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. The student demonstration was held to protest the increase in salaries and allowances for members of the DPR.
Muzammil emphasized that the student demonstration was a form of expressing the people's aspirations, as guaranteed by the constitution, and not a criminal act. "The repressive actions of the North Sumatra police are extremely inhumane. This is not only a form of criminalization, but also clear evidence that the state is trying to silence the voices of students," Muzammil said in a written statement received by Tempo on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
BEM SI demanded that the North Sumatra Regional Police immediately release all detained students unconditionally. Muzammil warned that if the detentions were not immediately stopped, the anger of the masses would grow, and the wave of student resistance across Indonesia would become increasingly difficult to contain.
"We emphasize to the North Sumatra Police Chief: immediately release all detained comrades! Don't let this arbitrary action fuel even greater anger among students. If this kind of repression continues, the people will become increasingly convinced that the authorities are merely a tool of power to silence criticism," he said.
In addition to the arrests, the Student Executive Board (BEM SI) also demanded that officers be held accountable for the act of stomping on the head of a student during the demonstration. According to Muzammil, this act was a form of violence that violates humanitarian values and tarnishes the image of the police force.
"We demand that officers who committed the barbaric act of stomping on the heads of protesters be immediately prosecuted. There must be no impunity for perpetrators of violence against students. This is a non-negotiable act!" he said.
Furthermore, Muzammil also warned all regional police forces in Indonesia not to repeat similar actions. He emphasized that repressive actions were not unique to North Sumatra but were also evident during the student demonstration in Jakarta on Monday, August 25, 2025. Authorities also used violent methods to disperse the crowd.
The Student Executive Board (BEM SI), he said, strongly condemns all forms of police repression, both in North Sumatra and in Jakarta yesterday. "We warn all regional police forces in Indonesia: never use violence to silence students! If this continues, the resistance will grow, and student solidarity across the country will coalesce into one massive wave," Muzammil said.