Minister: 50 Disguised as Students during DPR Rally

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Education and Culture Minister, Muhadjir Effendy, said he received reports from the police about people disguising as high school students during the rally in front of the MPR-DPR Building yesterday, September 30. The reports said that there were 50 adults wearing high school uniforms to disguise as students during the protest-turned-chaos.

"According to the reports I received, it turns out that they are not students, they were only wearing gray pants, and after being arrested it was discovered they are not students," the minister said at the Pancasila Sakti Monument Complex in Jakarta, Tuesday, October 1.

Muhadjir said that in regards to processing this matter, he is leaving everything in the hands of the police. 

Muhadjir said he had not received a report about the possibility of actual high school students taking part in the demonstration. If there were any, he said, the government would not instruct schools to impose sanctions.

"We will only advise them via the provincial governments, regency/city regents and mayors, the heads of their respective Education Offices, supervisors, school principals, teachers, and parents," he said.

He said his ministry had appealed to schools not to allow their students to rally. According to the Children Protection Law, they are not subjects allowed to protest.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI