To The Fallen Soul Tonight, and to us the Citizens of our country, Indonesia

To the family and friends of our young brother who was taken from us too soon, Words feel insufficient in the face of such profound loss.

Tonight, our hearts are heavy with grief for a young life cut short—a son, a friend, a fellow Indonesian whose only desire was to make an honest living and have his voice heard.

To his family: your son’s courage in standing up for what he believed in will not be forgotten. His life mattered. His dreams mattered. The future he will never see mattered. Please know that your grief is shared by so many of us who never knew him personally but recognize in him the hopes and struggles of our generation.

To his friends and fellow ojek drivers: you have lost not just a companion but a brother who understood the daily challenges you face. His spirit of solidarity and his willingness to speak truth to power reflect the best of what it means to care for our community.

This tragedy reminds us that our democracy is fragile and requires all of us to nurture it. A government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people must listen when its citizens speak—especially its young people who carry our nation’s future in their hearts.

May his family find strength in their love for him. May his friends find comfort in their memories. And may all of us find the courage to continue working toward the Indonesia he believed in—one where every voice matters, where justice prevails, and where no parent has to lose a child in the pursuit of a better tomorrow.

Our deepest condolences and solidarity. Rest in peace, young brother. Your voice will echo in our continued fight for justice and dignity.