Peaceful Assembly
In July and September, there were multi-day protests by teachers. While several teachers' unions were active, a few teachers formed another union called “Syndicate” because they felt that teachers were not being heard and that they had to make themselves more visible through street protests. The government refused to talk with the union, as the government claims it is not a union and, therefore, not an interlocutor. To end the protests, President Chandrikapersad Santokhi made several promises that have not yet been fulfilled. The number one priority for the teachers is better pay.
Expression
According to the news outlet Starnieuws, on 9th August, the singer and artist Manroef Amatstam was removed from the stage because he sang a song that Minister Bronto Somohardjo of Internal Affairs did not like. Amatstam was contracted to perform during the Javanese New Year and his song was about the hard times affecting people and the country. The Minister of Internal Affairs is also the political leader of Pertjaja Luhur, one of the three coalition parties that form the government.