Indonesia: Brutal crackdown on protests, arrests of activists and suppression of dissent in Papua as President marks one year in power

In Indonesia, civic space is rated as ‘obstructed’. The country remains on the CIVICUS Monitor Watch List. One year, since President Prabowo Subianto came to power, human rights groups have documented the criminalisation, harassment and attacks on activists and others for their activism. Journalists have been targeted for their reporting and there has been a brutal crackdown on protests with arbitrary arrests, excessive force and ill-treatment by the security forces with impunity. The government has also undertaken military law revisions, which dramatically expands the military influence over civilian life and weakened oversight. Authorities have also criminalised Papuan activists for their peaceful expression and supressed demonstrations in the region.

In recent months, brutal crackdown and arrests by security forces took place nationwide after mass protests were mobilised against government policies. Eight activists have been detained and charged for peacefully protesting. There was also excessive force in Pati, and indigenous villagers were jailed over a nickel mining protest. Crackdown on protests in Papua were also documented. Violence against journalists and coverage restrictions were reported amid nationwide protests while four journalists in Papua faced intimidation and threats. There were also arbitrary arrests and harassment of political activists in Sorong.

Peaceful Assembly

Crackdown on protesters nationwide

On 15th August 2025, the government of President Prabowo Subianto announced a housing allowance for lawmakers, which was widely criticised, particularly because of government austerity measures that included cuts to education, health, and other services.

Protests erupted on 25th August 2025 in Jakarta as thousands of university and high school students and activists gathered in protest outside the parliament complex in Jakarta on 25th August. According to Human Rights Watch, in the evening, about 1,500 police officers dispersed the demonstration with water cannon and tear gas, enforcing a police practice that prohibits public protest after 6pm. According to reports from human rights groups, at least 351 people, among them 196 children, were arbitrarily arrested.

On 28-29th August, scores of labour unions and student groups organised large protests in Jakarta and other cities, mostly concentrated around regional parliament buildings, demanding higher wages. The protest was peaceful, with student leaders making speeches, until some people threw stones at the police and used bamboo sticks to try to break the police barricade.

After a video spread on social media of Affan Kurniawan, a motorcycle taxi rider, who was killed after being run over by a tactical vehicle belonging to the police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) during the protest, the protests widened to nearly 50 cities across the country.

In the city of Solo, Central Java province, a pedicab driver allegedly died due to exposure to tear gas fired by police during a protest on 29th August 2025. In Yogyakarta, a student died on 30th August 2025 after allegedly being beaten by police who were also firing tear gas at protesters near the police headquarters.

The Indonesian authorities arrested more than 3,000 people in a nationwide crackdown during the anti-government protests. Some were coerced and intimidated into signing official statements and denied access to adequate legal assistance. Human rights group KontraS also documented excessive use of force from the police including the use of lethal weapons, ill-treatment and the uncontrolled use of crowd-control weapons. There were allegations of the widespread use of tear gas. Reports indicate that there was military involvement in some protests. According to KontraS, at least 20 people went missing after the demonstrations, with some taken to police stations without due process. Two remain missing at the time of writing.

There were also reports from human rights groups of digital attacks targeting individuals who voiced their criticism on social media. These include doxxing, gender-based online violence, and other cyberattacks. Authorities further disrupted internet access and restricted information flow, including the suspension of TikTok’s livestream feature, which had become a vital tool for documenting protests in real time.

There were also efforts to smear and vilify the protests by suggesting that they were orchestrated by foreign actors seeking to destabilise the country.

On 1st September 2025, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said: “The authorities must uphold the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression while maintaining order, in line with international norms and standards, in relation to the policing of public assemblies. All security forces, including the military when deployed in a law enforcement capacity, must comply with the basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials. We call for prompt, thorough, and transparent investigations into all alleged violations of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force.”

There has been no reports of any of the members of the security forces being held to account for violations during the protests beyond disciplinary sanctions.

Eight activists arbitrarily arrested and charged for peacefully protesting

Eight activists - Delpedro Marhaen Rismansyah, Muzaffar Salim, Khariq Anhar, Syahdan Husein, Wawan Hermawan, Saiful Amin, Shelfin Bima Prakosa, and Muhammad ‘Paul’ Fakhrurrozi - are facing six to twelve years’ imprisonment for simply expressing their opinions and posting on social media in support of the August 2025 nationwide protests in Indonesia. All remain in police custody.

The eight have been engaged in student movements, civil society advocacy, as well as grassroots initiatives promoting government accountability. They were arrested separately as part of a broader crackdown on protests by the police, which many described as the largest scale of repression in decades.

The activists were accused of “inciting violence” during the recent protests. Authorities charged them under several articles, including Article 160 of the Criminal Code on incitement to violence and Article 28(3) and Article 45A(3) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law on hate speech. According to the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), many of these arrests were carried out without legal basis or official warrants. Police also seized books, documents, and electronic devices belonging to activists and civil society organisations, marking a pattern of expanding criminalisation.

Delpedro, Muzaffar, Khariq, Syahdan, and Wawan are currently detained at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Office. Saiful and Shelfin remain in the custody of the Kediri City Police in East Java Province while Paul is detained at the East Java Police Office.

Excessive force and arrests around protest in Pati

Protesters in Pati, Central Java were met with arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force by the police on 13th August 2025.

According to FORUM-ASIA, the protest was part of a mass mobilisation of approximately 100,000 residents demanding the resignation of Regent Sudewo over an unfair local tax hike and other controversial policies.

During the protest, a total of 2,781 security personnel comprising joint police forces from the District Police (Polres) and Regional Police (Polda), the military (TNI), and other stakeholders were deployed.

Instead of facilitating the protest, police responded with water cannon and tear gas, and arbitrarily arrested 22 protesters and confiscated their personal belongings without due process. The police also reportedly required the detained protestors to sign a statement that they would not participate in any future protests. More than 34 protesters were injured, including at least one journalist.

Indigenous villagers jailed over nickel mining protest

A court in eastern Indonesia jailed 11 members of an indigenous community for obstructing nickel mining operations.

On 16th October 2025, Chief Judge Asma Fandun of the Soasio District Court in Tidore City, North Maluku province, sentenced Sahil Abu Bakar, identified as the group’s leader, to five months and eight days in prison. Ten others each received two-month terms. They were convicted under Article 162 of the Law Regarding Mineral and Coal Mining (No. 3 Year 2020).

Advocates condemned the verdict as unjust.

Melky Nahar, coordinator of the Mining Advocacy Network said: “This marks a further erosion of legal justice because those punished are not environmental destroyers, but indigenous people who protect forests and rivers as their source of life.”

The group had been protesting against mining on their ancestral land, but some carried machetes as part of a traditional ritual, he said.

The Civil Society Coalition Against the Criminalisation of the Maba Sangaji Indigenous Community also denounced the verdict as being “full of irregularities and a clear form of criminalisation against people defending their living space.”

PT Position, a subsidiary of PT Harum Energy, holds licences to mine 4,017 hectares of land in North Maluku, which is estimated to contain 215 million tons of nickel ore.

Crackdown on protests in Papua

In recent months, there were reports of a number of protests in Papua that were suppressed.

According to the Human Rights Monitor, on 15th August 2025, Indonesian police and Brimob forces used excessive force against peaceful protesters in Sentani, Jayapura Regency, organised by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB). KNPB is a movement promoting the right to self-determination through peaceful action and is one of the most frequently targeted groups in West Papua.

The demonstration, part of region-wide commemorations from Sorong to Merauke, was organised to mark the controversial 1962 New York Agreement that transferred Papua from Dutch to Indonesian control. Despite KNPB’s advance notice, security forces responded with violence, resulting in at least nine documented injuries.

On 23rd September 2025, police officers from the Jayapura Police arbitrarily detained thirteen KNPB members in the Sentani area while they were distributing leaflets to announce an upcoming peaceful demonstration marking International Farmers’ Day (24th September 2025).

On 30th September 2025, a peaceful demonstration organised by Solidaritas Peduli Uncen (SPU) at the Cenderawasih University campus gate in Jayapura, was forcibly dispersed by police. The demonstration was held to mark the 63rd anniversary of the 1962 Rome Agreement and to demand the right to self-determination for the Papuan people. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd and arrested four students. During the incident, plainclothes police officers intimidated Tribun Papua journalist Mr Yulianus Magai while covering the protest.

Expression

Violence against journalists and coverage restrictions amid nationwide protests

There were also reports that at least 16 journalists were assaulted or intimidated while covering the nationwide protests in August 2025 (see above).

According to The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates, including the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia, on 25th August 2025, Antara photojournalist Bayu Pratama was assaulted by police while covering demonstrations outside the House of Representatives compound in Central Jakarta. The same day in Medan, a journalist was assaulted while working from the North Sumatra Regional People’s Representative Council building, with at least three other media workers reporting obstruction and the confiscation of equipment.

Two photojournalists, Muhammad Adimaja from Antara and Yogi Pardamaen from Tempo, were chased and beaten by unknown assailants on 28th August 2025 while reporting on a protest near the police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Jakarta, while a Jurnas.com journalist known as Mughni was intimidated by police outside Parliament. On 29th August 2025, Disway reporter Rafi Adhi was allegedly struck with acid by an unknown assailant while covering a demonstration outside the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters.

On 30th August 2025, DetikBali’s Fabiola Dianira and TV One’s Leo Chandra Sibarani reported police intimidation at the Bali Regional Police building and the Bali Regional House of Representatives, respectively. Bali Topik’s Rovin Bou was also arrested, beaten, and briefly detained while live-streaming in front of the Polda Bali building, despite showing his press card. In Jambi City the same day, eight journalists were obstructed in their work by a crowd near the prosecutor general’s office.

Reporters Without Borders reported that beyond these acts of violence, the authorities allegedly sought to restrict coverage of the protests. According to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), the Jakarta Regional Broadcasting Commission (KPID) sent a note to television and radio stations urging them to avoid “excessively violent” coverage. The KPID president has denied that his institution issued such a note.

Four journalists in Papua face intimidation and threats

Amnesty International reported that four journalists from Papuanewsonline.com were intimated, threatened and coerced into signing statements by the Head of the Mimika Police Criminal Investigation Unit and several other police personnel. This incident occurred in Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province, on 3rd October 2025.

The violations began when the person in charge of Papuanewsonline.com, Ifo Rahabav, responded to a summons for questioning regarding a police report of alleged defamation around an article the outlet had published.

While Ifo was being questioned, the Head of Criminal Investigation threatened two other journalists (Zidan and Abimanyu) waiting outside, saying: "It's a long night, I'll shoot you in the head." After the questioning was completed, the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit then called Ifo, hurling insults and challenging him to fight.

While Ifo and his three colleagues were at the Papuanewsonline.com editorial office around midnight, they were approached by dozens of police officers. The four journalists were forced into separate cars after all their cell phones were confiscated. Upon returning to the Mimika Police Station grounds, the four journalists experienced severe intimidation until dawn.

Around 5:00 am, after hours of intimidation, the four journalists were forced to draft and sign a statement which included an apology and a promise to delete the article they had written.

Association

Arbitrary arrests and harassment of political activists in Sorong

According to the Human Rights Monitor, between 27th and 30th August 2025, security forces carried out a series of arbitrary arrests and home searches linked to protests against the transfer of four Papuan political prisoners in Sorong City, South-West Papua Province.

Detainees and victims include activists from Papua Peoples Solidarity and the Sorong-Raya Pro-democracy Solidarity movement. Among those targeted include Dominggus Wafom, Musa Susim, Elisa Bisulu, Dedi Goram, and Yance Manggaprouw, as well as 17 others.

Heavily armed police also surrounded and forced entry into the home of activist Sayang Mandabayang on 27th August 2025, arresting her husband Yan (Yance) Manggaprouw without presenting a warrant. He was transported to Sorong City Police Headquarters, allegedly beaten with a firearm butt, strangled, and his telephone seized.

Among the violations reported were arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful searches without presenting warrants, excessive and indiscriminate use of force and firearms, ill-treatment and intimidation of children.

Court throws out SLAPP lawsuit against academics

On a positive note, on 9th October 2025, the Cibinong District Court declared the lawsuit against academics Bambang Hero Saharjo and Basuki Wasis to be a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) and ruled that the lawsuit cannot proceed.

This historic decision is the first anti-SLAPP decision in Indonesia to be issued through an interlocutory decision mechanism based on Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) No. 1 of 2023 concerning Guidelines for Adjudicating Environmental Cases.

The lawsuit was filed by PT Kalimantan Lestari Mandiri (PT KLM) against the two academics from the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) who provided expert testimony in a peatland fire in PT KLM's plantation area in Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan, in 2018. This expert testimony was used as the basis for a final and binding decision ordering PT KLM to pay material damages and restoration costs.

Following the judgement, the Save Academics and Experts Coalition said that the decision was “appropriate, progressive, and in line with the spirit of protecting environmental defenders. This decision demonstrates a strong understanding of the anti-SLAPP principle.”

Marsya M. Handayani, a researcher at the Indonesia Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) said: "SLAPPs must be stopped as soon as possible to prevent criminalisation and pressure on individuals participating in environmental protection. The interlocutory injunction mechanism is an effective and just measure, as it allows for early dismissal of cases without having to wait for a lengthy, tedious, and costly trial process for environmental defenders."

YLBHI (Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation) considered this ruling an important step in strengthening the principles of the rule of law, democracy, and respect for human rights in Indonesia.