The manifestation of privilege: A critical discourse analysis of the Indonesian circular letter on health protocols for international travel

Taking the principles of critical discourse analysis favoring issues on unequal power relations, this study attempts to disclose manifestation privilege in government regulations. To do so, it combines Systemic Functional Grammar and CDA by explicating results transitivity legal text within relevant socio-political context. The data were clauses Circular Letter No. 26/2021 enacted Indonesian Health Protocols for International Travel during COVID-19 Pandemic. show that, terms transitivity, circular letter includes material, relational, verbal, mental process, which serve details health protocols be adhered travelers, describe criteria travelers who are given special provisions countries being temporarily banned from entering Indonesia, report condition need medical assistance. material relational processes demonstrate form privileges, namely dispensation quarantine implementation exemption Indonesia travel restriction. process shows particular privileged groups, including state officials, delegates economic cooperation, well-known figures. It is embedded that what deemed beneficial political elites country’s somehow not line with public interest.