TEMPO.CO, Mataram - At least 26 students who are members of the Indonesian People's Assembly (IPA) of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) were arrested when staging demonstrations against this week’s G20 Summit on Tuesday, November 15.

The arrest occurred at two action points; 14 people in Mataram and 15 people in East Lombok. Badarudin, a coordinator of Mataram Legal Aid Institute (LBH), said the police dispersed the masses when they were about to start the demonstration in front of the Mataram Bank Indonesia Roundabout.

“The demonstrators are arrested and forcibly taken to the Mataram Resort Police office,” Badar told Tempo on Tuesday.

NTB IPA coordinator Muhammad Alwi was also arrested in Mataram. In Selong, East Lombok, 12 students joining the action were taken to the East Lombok Military Command Headquarters or Makodim.

Badar claimed that similar to the arrest in Mataram, the masses in East Lombok had yet to stage action. “They just made a circle and then were immediately dispersed and transported to Makodim,” said Badar, adding that one of the protesters was even arrested at his boarding house.

All the protesters who were arrested had not been released yet until the news is published. The LBH Mataram team had met them. “The BAP has not been made. They (the police) say they are waiting for the police chief's orders,” Badar said.

Meanwhile, the LBH Mataram team was not allowed to meet the arrested students in East Lombok until Tuesday night.

The demonstration initiated by IPA in NTB was part of the actions held simultaneously across the country in response to the G20 Summit in Bali on November 15-16, 2022.

No official statement from the police has been issued until this news was written. The NTB Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Artanto responded briefly to Tempo’s request for confirmation via WhatsApp, “I'll check it first.”

ABDUL LATIEF APRIAMAN

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