Let's give the police an applause for guarding and protecting us
Jakarta (ANTARA) - After Indonesia's Members of Parliament for the 2019-2024 period were inaugurated, university students again demonstrated on the streets near the Parliament Building to reject the revised Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) law and other controversial bills.

"Today, we will stage a theatrical demonstration. We will stage solidarity actions," Abbas, a coordinator and student of the State University of Jakarta (UNJ), noted here on Tuesday.

The students from various universities in Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Central Java, also carried flowers to be distributed to others.

Several anti-riot police officers stood guard in front of the students keen on approaching the Parliament Building.

Related news: 20,500 Jakarta police, military officers to secure student rally

"Let us give the police an applause for guarding and protecting us," Abbas remarked while pointing to the security officers. Earlier on in the day, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives (DPR), and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) had held an inauguration ceremony at the Parliament Building for their members for the 2019-2024 period.

The inauguration and swearing-in ceremony of 578 members of DPR were led by the oldest and the youngest MPs, respectively, Abdul Wahab Dalimunthe from the Democratic Party (PD) and Hillary Brigitta Lasut, 23, from the National Democratic Party (Nasdem), acting as the temporary chairmen.

Attendees at the ceremony comprised President Joko Widodo, Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, and General Election Commission (KPU) Chairman Arief Budiman, Indonesia's fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri, sixth vice president Try Sutrisno, and ninth vice president Hamzah Haz.

Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party were also present on the occasion.

Related news: Official inauguration of DPR members for 2019-2024 held at Jakarta

During the course of the past week, university students throughout Indonesia staged several demonstrations calling to cancel the revised KPK Law passed recently by the DPR and government.

They believed that the amended law will dilute the powers of the anti-graft agency in fighting corrupt practices.

In addition to university students, students of senior high and vocational schools, 10th to 12th graders, also staged similar rallies over the last several days to demonstrate their solidarity with university students. Their demonstrations always took a chaotic turn since police personnel responded to the students' aggressive conduct by resorting to water cannons, tear gas, and clubs.

Related news: Members of DPR, MPR, DPD for 2019-2024 period inaugurated





Translator: Prisca T V, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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