TEMPO.CO, Banda Aceh – Around 20 activists of the Association of Indonesian Muslim University Students (KAMMI) staged a protest against the recent comments of Australian Premier Tony Abbott, who condemned the planned executions of Australian drug convicts Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan and reminded the country of the Australian aid for Indonesia after the 2004 Aceh tsunami.
The protest took place in front of Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the capital of Banda Aceh on Monday afternoon, February 23, 2015.
“We have moved and will continue to move for the #KoinuntukAustralia coin-collecting drive. Regardless of how much we collect, that is our contribution to securing the nation’s dignity,” said KAMMI Aceh chapter head Darlis Azis on Monday.
The protesters wrote their protests on sheets of cartons, among them saying, “Abbott has to apologize to the people of Aceh” and “The Indonesian government must be firm”.
Darlis said the people of Aceh were deeply appreciative of the international aid given to Indonesia as the country was grappling with the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, including from Australia, but slammed Abbott for the ill fashion of his political communication, which had damaged the Indonesia-Australia ties.
Darlis added he would submit the spare change to Abbott through the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. “That is if President Jokowi has yet to execute the narcotics ringleaders,” he said.
ADI WARSIDI