ASIA/INDONESIA – Indonesian priest: “the government should listen to the expectations of young people”

Jakarta – “The expectations of young Indonesians are legitimate; they demand transparency, work, development, good politics, and a future. The problem is that they are being exploited for other purposes,” Father Agustinus Purnama, a 70-year-old Indonesian priest and Superior General of the Missionaries of the Holy Family in the province of Java, told Fides.
Father Purnama – who is nearing the end of his six-year term as Superior – notes: “Now we will see if the government will pay attention and listen to these demands after the wave of popular protests that swept the country in early September. I do not think the movement is just a sudden outburst. Rather, I think it will continue, raising public awareness on essential issues of democracy and civic life.” The Indonesian priest recognizes “an impulse dictated by an ethic of responsibility that addresses the entire nation and refers to Indonesia’s fundamental principles, the Pancasila” .
Among the problems addressed is unemployment. Indonesia has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Asia. According to government figures, nearly 20% of the more than 44 million Indonesians between the ages of 15 and 24 are unemployed, which is more than double the youth unemployment rate in neighboring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. “Young people harbor a certain distrust of the government, which is being called upon to change course,” the religious emphasizes. This distrust has been channeled into a protest movement founded by students called “Indonesia Gelap” , which is protesting government plans to cut spending on public services. According to economists, the factors that explain the high unemployment rate in Southeast Asia’s largest economy include structural problems such as labor market rigidity , low wages, and weak investment. One of the widespread risks is “modern slavery,” in which workers suffer exploitative conditions. “It is the image of economic inequality that, exacerbated by corruption, has led to the demonstrations of recent weeks. I believe that all politics, society, and even the Catholic Church are called upon to do their part to meet the expectations of young people,” concludes Father Purnama.

Read original article