TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Bengkulu Regional Association of Islamic Students (HMI) planned to stage a protest when President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visited Bengkulu today, July 20, 2023.

The President departed for the province on Wednesday afternoon, July 19, from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, East Jakarta, and would stay for 3 to 4 days. Today, he was scheduled to inaugurate the Bengkulu-Taba Penanjung Toll Road.

“We’d like to give souvenirs to President Jokowi, showing the current challenging conditions in Bengkulu Province,” Bengkulu HMI chairperson Maulana Taslam said in his statement on Thursday, July 20, 2023.

However, Maulana claimed that the location and time of the rally have not been determined until now. Some issues that will be relayed relate to the law, environment, and infrastructure.

“First, the conflict over the illegal iron sand mining between the company and the people of Pasar Seluma Village, Seluma,” Maulana said.

The second one is the agrarian conflict in the oil palm plantation in Malin Deman, Mukomuko. The third one is the damaged road and bridge infrastructure.

HMI would also protest against environmental damage in the Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) due to illegal mining, which potentially causes natural disasters and threaten elephant habitats. The fifth issue concerns the Teluk Sepang steam power plants (PLTU) in Bengkulu City which threatens the livelihood of the people and the environmental ecosystem around it.

HMI would further highlight the repressive actions of the police in dealing with mass actions leading to riots. “HMI Bengkulu urges President Jokowi to solve the problem in the shortest possible time,” Mualana said.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH

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