A bold and unconventional protest by a Jesuit priest has sparked action from Indonesian government officials, leading to the cleanup of a massive pile of trash near the historic Ignatius College compound in Yogyakarta.
Fr. Mutiara Andalas, a Jesuit theology lecturer, had laid atop a heap of garbage in early October to draw attention to the mismanagement of waste in the area.
The trash, which was located in a temporary disposal site behind the Kolese Santo Ignatius (Kolsani) residential house and near the 5th campus of Sanata Dharma University, had been an ongoing issue.
“This huge pile of trash is located and ‘attached’ in our Kolsani’s fence that is also behind the 5th campus of Sanata Dharma University,” the priest told LiCAS News on Wednesday.
His protest, video-recorded and shared on social media, gained traction earlier this week. Joining him in the act was Vian, a pastoral and catechist student from Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, studying at Sanata Dharma University.
“Initial ideas to show our serious concern were made by picking up the trash and bringing it to Yogyakarta’s Regional House of Parliament (DPRD). But we canceled this action and changed it into different acting exposure,” explained Vian.
The viral video prompted Indonesian Minister for Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq to visit the site and issue a stern warning to local authorities.
The minister criticized the Yogyakarta administration for failing to address the issue despite significant budget allocations.
“I will pursue legal basis to proceed these improper actions by local Yogyakarta administration to manage trashes in the temporary Mandala Krida Depo site,” said Minister Hanif on Wednesday.
He pointed out that while 300 tons of trash are generated daily, mismanagement has left temporary sites overwhelmed.
“If trash management is properly done, then it would not happen such a disgusting view in Mandala Krida Depot’s temporary trash bin,” he added.
Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who also serves as the region’s king, expressed anger over the situation and the minister’s reprimands.
“I am not very happy to learn such strong messages by the minister,” he said on Thursday, urging Mayor Sugeng Purwanto to address the issue immediately.
Mayor Purwanto acknowledged the challenges in managing waste, stating, “Our Yogyakarta administration could only manage to overhaul 180 tons per diem from a total of 300 tons of trash.”
However, he admitted that coordination with civil agencies had yet to resolve the procurement of a permanent disposal site.
By Nov. 21, local authorities had acted swiftly to clear the area. The trash heap that had caused outrage was removed, and plans to prevent future mismanagement were reportedly underway.
The incident brought to light Indonesia’s ongoing challenges in waste management, despite significant government budgets allocated for the issue.
While the cleanup addressed the immediate problem at this location, questions remain about how the country will implement sustainable solutions to manage its increasing waste production.
