65 Activist Students' Words from Prominent Figures, Soe Hok Gie - Wiji Thukul

Kapanlagi.com - The image as an activist is so attached to the figure of students and young people. Many significant events in Indonesia's long struggle have been driven by students. Words of student activists have an important role in igniting the spirit of the younger generation in movements or demonstrations demanding justice.

History records various major demonstrations carried out by students. Some of them are the 1998 action that ended with the fall of the regime and, more recently, in September 2019, students who rejected the RKUHP and declared a vote of no confidence in the government. In that action, many words of student activists were shouted or displayed on various demand posters.

In addition to containing aspirations, words of student activists often also contain quotes from activist figures who fought in the past. Quotes from figures such as Soe Hok Gie, Wiji Thukul, and Munir are still relevant if shouted to this day. To find out more about this, just read the following information.

1. Words of Activist Students from Soe Hok Gie

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Soe Hok Gie is one of the critical students in voicing opinions about the corruption of the system. Whether it's the government or the mindset of the community that only prioritizes their own group. The words of activist students from Soe Hok Gie are so fitting to be read and shouted by young people who are angry with the disorder of the current system. Just read the following quotes to make the spirit in your hearts more passionate.

1. There are still too many students who have a mentality of pretending to have power. They groan when pressed, but oppress when in power. Prioritizing groups, organizations, ideologically aligned friends, and others. Every year my younger siblings come from high school. They will become new victims to be deceived by student figures like earlier.

2. We seem to celebrate democracy, but silence the tongues of those who dare to express their opinions that harm the government.

3. Patriotism cannot grow from hypocrisy and slogans. One can only love something in a healthy way if they know the object. And loving the homeland of Indonesia can be cultivated by getting to know Indonesia and its people closely. The healthy growth of the soul of the youth must also mean the healthy growth of the body. That's why we climb mountains.

4. It is better to be isolated than to surrender to hypocrisy.

5. The dimmer the idealism and heroism of the youth, the more corruption there is.

6. For myself, politics is the dirtiest thing. Dirty mud. But someday when we can no longer avoid ourselves, then let's dive in.

7. I have decided that I will demonstrate. Because keeping silent about mistakes is a crime.

8. For me, there is something most valuable and genuine in life: 'being able to love, to have compassion, to feel sorrow'. Without all of that, we are nothing more than objects. Blessed is the person who still has the feeling of love, who has not lost that most valuable thing. If we have lost it, then our life is absurd.

9. The field of a scholar is to think and create something new, they must be free from all the chaos of society. But they cannot escape from their social function. That is to act for their social responsibility, when the situation is pressing. The intellectuals who continue to remain silent in pressing situations have eroded all humanity.

10. I dream of a world where scholars, workers, and youth rise up and say, 'stop all hypocrisy! Stop all killings in the name of anything.' There is no more hatred towards anyone, any religion, any race, and any nation. And forget about war and hatred, and only focus on building a better world.

11. This world is a strange world. A world that is green but funny. A dirty but beautiful world. Maybe that's why I have fallen in love with life.

12. For me, there must always be a struggle. An effort to eliminate stubbornness, betrayal, and everything non-humanistic.

13. And a hero is someone who retreats to be forgotten, just like how we forget the dead for the revolution.

14. My biggest dream, which I want to fulfill, is for Indonesian students to develop into 'ordinary human beings'. To behave as normal young men and women, as humans who do not deny their existence as students, as young people, and as human beings.

15. I recognize them, those who are willing to fight against dictators without an army, and those who are willing to eradicate corruption without money.

16. For young people in general, revolution means a challenge to seek new values.

17. Life is the courage to face question marks.

18. Life is about bravery, facing the question marks, without understanding, without being able to negotiate. Accept and face them.

19. There are only two choices, to be apathetic or to go with the flow. But I choose to be a free human being.

20. The world is as vast as a step. Explore it and never be afraid to take a step. Only by doing so can we understand life and be one with it.

2. Words of Activist Students from Munir Said Thalib

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As a human rights activist, Munir Said Thalib has made significant contributions to the struggle of the Indonesian people against injustice. One of the successfully handled human rights violation cases was the disappearance of 24 activists and students in Jakarta (1997-1998). Therefore, Munir's words are highly quoted as the words of student activists in fighting for justice and human rights.

21. Marsinah is a mirror of labor resistance in the growth of the labor movement.

22. They fight for power, they oppose weapons, they shoot the people, but then hide behind the cloak of power. Will we let these cowards remain strong? I don't think so, they fail to be brave.

23. Building a nation is building a civilization.

24. I have to stay calm even when I'm afraid. To make everyone not afraid. It's normal for people to be afraid, there's no one who isn't afraid, but what I'm trying to find is rationalizing the feeling of fear.

25. Political education of the people will only succeed in a democratic system and with guarantees of human rights.

26. There is no reason for Muslims not to side with the oppressed.

27. When I dare to pray, the consequence is that I must dare to side with the poor and make difficult choices to fulfill those commands, such as defending the victims.

28. They only exist in clothes, but inside their bodies is something humiliating. Something irresponsible, which they will pay for until any second.

29. Kamnas System is a system that encompasses policies and about how the country builds a framework to protect national interests.

30. Generally, the labor movement is divided into two: a. practical labor movement and b. political labor movement.

31. Security forces must act effectively, proportionally, and professionally, not act out of fear of being accused of violating human rights.

32. There should not be acceptable claims when defending national integration by denying respect for human rights.

33. Fighting disbelief so that people do not disbelieve is the same as fighting poverty so that people are not poor. It is not the poor who are fought against.

34. We go home, we sleep, we keep praying, then we go back. It is not Islam if we do not call for resistance.

35. Let the people determine the direction of this nation, and how the people will safeguard their future, because the people are the rightful owners of the constitution.

36. Making humans helpless is something that we should question.

37. The most effective remedy for fear is to fight against fear itself.

38. There should not be any acceptable claims when defending national integration by denying human rights.

39. The biggest danger is the fear in our heads. The fear spread by the existing system. This fear is the biggest obstacle in the struggle.

40. Every person is born free, with equal rights and dignity.

3. Words of Activist Students from Wiji Thukul

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Wiji Thukul is famous as an activist and poet whose poems are often recited on the podium of demonstrations until now. More than just words of activist students, his poems are straightforward and full of vivid imagery that can inspire anyone to fight against injustice.

41. My poem is the silence that I have destroyed so that I can speak and you can listen, my poem fights against silence.

42. I write, I am a writer, I keep writing even when terror surrounds me.

43. What do the rulers think, that the people only live for today?

44. If the people dare not complain, it means things are in grave danger, and if the words of the rulers cannot be contradicted, the truth is surely threatened.

45. Indeed, that voice is not a robber who wants to seize your wealth, it wants to speak why you hold weapons and tremble when those voices demand justice?

46. If we are flowers, you are the wall, but in the body of the wall we have scattered seeds, someday we will grow together with conviction.

47. I bow my head to you, friend who was thrown into the state prison.

48. Even a prison cannot make me obedient.

49. You force me to keep bowing but my decisions become stronger.

50. Those words always haunt me, they always say: you are still alive! I am indeed still intact and the words have not perished.

51. If you can no longer ask, you will be drowned by the decisions.

52. Those voices cannot be imprisoned, freedom resides there.

53. If you dare not ask anymore, we will become victims of the decisions, do not imprison your words.

54. We are the flowers that you do not want to grow. You prefer to build houses and seize land.

55. We are not alone, we have one path, our goal is one: liberation!

56. Indeed, that voice will become words, it teaches me to ask.

57. Indeed, that voice cannot be silenced, the mouth can be gagged.

58. What's the use of having high knowledge if it's only used to deceive, what's the use of reading many books if your mouth is always silent.

59. If you serve fear, we prolong the line of slavery.

60. If you hold back your words, your mouth cannot speak up for what you want.

61. I bow my head, together with your grieving people.

62. I say to the common people, be free!

63. If the people dare not complain, it means trouble, and if the words of the ruler cannot be questioned, the truth is surely threatened.

64. What does the ruler think? Can memories be buried and dammed up with a tank muzzle.

65. The suffering of the people's age is as long as the age of civilization.

KLovers, those are the words of activist students from Indonesian activist figures that you can ponder the meaning of.

(Source: Merdeka.com)

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