Indonesia's Rights Minister Proposes Parliament Courtyard as Protest Venue

September 15, 2025 | 04:54 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai has proposed turning the courtyard of the House of Representatives (DPR) building into an official space for demonstrations. He argued that the state must provide a legitimate venue for citizens to express their opinions peacefully.

"The people must be given space, because this country exists because of the people. They support the state, so the space for democracy must be opened," Pigai said at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, September 15, 2025.

Pigai explained that designating the DPR courtyard as a protest area could ease traffic congestion, bring citizens closer to their representatives, and reduce the negative stigma often associated with demonstrations.

"The right to assembly requires space to gather. The right to expression requires space to convey thoughts and feelings," he added.

The proposal, he clarified, remains an idea and has not been formally submitted to the DPR. Its future depends on the stance of lawmakers, particularly Commission XIII, which has already shown interest in the matter.

A day earlier, on September 14, Pigai had outlined his reasoning in a written statement, calling the DPR courtyard a "strategic choice" that would allow protesters to voice their concerns directly at the institution meant to represent them.

He stressed that such a move would strengthen democratic culture by fostering direct dialogue between leaders and citizens.

"Every leader or representative should come out and meet the people, listen to their aspirations, and receive them directly," Pigai said.

He also argued that establishing a designated protest site at the DPR could legitimize demonstrations rather than treating them as disruptions.

With a permanent venue, he added, security arrangements could be more measured, controlled, and logistically efficient, as proper facilities could be prepared in advance.

Pigai emphasized that his proposal should not be seen as restricting demonstrations only to the DPR courtyard. Instead, it would provide an additional, symbolic, and representative space for peaceful assembly.

Regional governments, he suggested, could adopt similar approaches by opening the courtyards of provincial and district House of Representatives (DPRD) offices.

"In this way, Indonesia avoids falling into restrictive regulations and instead expands democratic facilitation in its most substantive form," he said.

Hanin Marwah contributed to the writing of this article.

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