Seven hundred and thirty days have passed since the attack against Novel Baswedan, an investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), but the perpetrator remains a mystery. Therefore, KPK Employee Organization (WP KPK) and civil society coalition held a protest with the title #DuaTahunNovel (#TwoYearsNovel) in front of KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Thursday (11/4).
They demanded law enforcers to investigate and reveal the perpetrators in Novel’s case and 10 other cases against KPK’s employees. The protest began with solidarity statements from members of student alliances from Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Semarang and Jakarta. It was followed by musical performances from Digo Band, Kawan Lama, My Stereo III, Jason Ranti and Huhu Popo. A number of national figures then gave speeches to call out the public to fight against terror and to demand fair law enforcement. The figures include KPK Commissioners Busyro Muqqodas and Abraham Samad, Gadjah Mada University’s Law Faculty’s lecturer Zainal Arifin Mochtar, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia Usman Hamid, and human rights activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana.
After the speeches, these figures read a declaration to demand the government to fight against all kinds of terror and attempts to weaken KPK, and to ensure the disclosure of terror against KPK. The declaration contained five points. First, to establish 11 April as the day to commemorate terror against corruption eradication and human rights defender in Indonesia. Second, to reject all forms of lie, deception and false pretense from all parties that seem to support KPK.
“Third, to demand the President of the Republic of Indonesia to be firm and clear in fighting against all terrors and attempts to weaken KPK,” said WP KPK Chairman Yudi Purnomo, echoed by all figures.
Fourth, to demand the President of the Republic of Indonesia to stop delaying the establishment of an independent joint team for fact finding (TGPF). Lastly, to demand the President of the Republic of Indonesia to ensure the disclosure of 10 terror cases against KPK and other cases of terror against human rights defenders, anticorruption activists, social activists, workers, and farmers in the country.
The event continued with poetry musicalization by noted TV journalist/host Najwa Shihab in collaboration with guitarist Ramah Handoko from Serieus Band. It will be followed by a discussion with writer/preacher Emha Ainun Najib, Novel Baswedan and Najwa Shihab.
(Public Relations Bureau)
