Why are demonstrators against Indonesia’s Omnibus Law in awe of Thailand’s protesters? It’s all about perseverance

As mass rallies against the controversial job creation bill dwindle, Indonesians are gaining respect for the persistence of those calling for reform in Thailand

Analysts say there are both parallels between the countries’ protest movements, and opportunities for them to learn from each other

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Protesters in Bandung, Indonesia march against the Omnibus Law on October 20. Photo: DPA

Published: 7:44pm, 22 Oct 2020Updated: 10:39pm, 22 Oct 2020

On October 20, a year to the day after Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo was sworn into his second term in office, hundreds of protesters gathered at a prominent road in Jakarta. They were students, civil activists and members of labour organisations, wearing colourful jackets and T-shirts representing their various groups.

They mostly sat on the road, idly listening to speeches and chatting with their peers or eating meals sold by street food vendors – but ears pricked up when a speaker from a labour group, on a makeshift stage atop a pickup truck, said: “Protesters in Thailand are still taking to the streets to demand for change!”

Sharing this awe and respect for the perseverance of Thai protesters was Yazid Zinaidin Saputra, an architecture student from a university in Jakarta.

“I really respect the Thai students because their struggle is harder than the struggle faced by Indonesian students,” the 21-year-old said, referring to the view that in Thailand demonstrations continued even after the use of deterrents such as water cannons, while in Indonesia many protesters would scatter. “It is inspiring to see, but our situation here is different. If we were to use their strategy, we need to make adjustments and improve it so that we can be more organised.”

Indonesia’s protest movement has one goal in mind: to push Widodo to repeal the Omnibus Law, also known as the jobs creation bill, which was passed on October 5 in a bid to boost employment by cutting red tape that has long deterred foreign investors.

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