Indonesian Protests Spread Amid Government Crackdown

Massive anti-government protests erupted across Indonesia beginning August 25, 2025, triggered by public outrage over new parliamentary benefits and deepening economic hardship. The unrest rapidly spread from Jakarta to nearly 50 cities, including major urban centers and the restive region of West Papua, as demonstrators demanded accountability for corruption, rising unemployment, and police brutality. The protests intensified after a widely circulated video showed a police armored vehicle fatally crushing a motorcycle driver, fueling anger among delivery workers and students.

Authorities responded with force, detaining over 3,000 people nationwide and deploying riot police armed with tear gas and tactical vehicles. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have documented widespread use of excessive force, arbitrary arrests, and the deployment of expired tear gas, which indiscriminately affected residential areas. "Indonesian authorities should not respond to protests over government policies by using excessive force and wrongfully locking up demonstrators," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. The National Police chief, General Listyo Sigit, issued a rare apology and announced the arrest of seven officers for violating police ethics, but activists say accountability remains elusive.

Escalation in West Papua

The crackdown has been particularly severe in West Papua, where protests against the transfer of four political prisoners to Makassar were met with joint police and military operations. Security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition at crowds in Sorong, resulting in serious injuries and at least one civilian death. Amnesty International and local legal aid groups have called for independent investigations into the shootings and deaths, but official statements have downplayed the use of lethal force, claiming teargas is "non-lethal." Pacific civil society organizations report that violence and oppression in West Papua have escalated, with more than 100,000 people now internally displaced due to ongoing conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army.

Regional leaders, including former New Caledonia President Louis Mapou, have highlighted the tension between defending human rights and state interests, urging Pacific leaders to press Indonesia for accountability and humanitarian access. "The expansion of the military is incredibly problematic so it's important for us to express our solidarity with our West Papua brothers and sisters," said New Zealand Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono.

Workers and Students Mobilize Nationwide

Tens of thousands of workers joined the protests on August 28 and 29, demanding wage increases, an end to mass layoffs, and comprehensive labor reforms. The epicenter remained in front of the House of Representatives in Jakarta, where protesters decried lawmakers' housing allowances—ten times the minimum wage—amid austerity measures and budget cuts for education and health. The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) documented hundreds of injuries and arbitrary detentions, including minors, and condemned the use of expired tear gas and water cannons.

Despite official statements framing the protests as threats to national stability, independent observers note the government's reliance on heavy-handed tactics and propaganda, including attempts to delegitimize demonstrators' motives and minimize reports of abuse. The Prabowo administration has been criticized for perpetuating a culture of impunity regarding past and present human rights violations, with few signs of meaningful reform or openness to international scrutiny.

International solidarity groups and human rights monitors continue to call for impartial investigations, protection of the right to protest, and urgent humanitarian assistance—particularly in West Papua, where the humanitarian crisis is deepening. The situation remains volatile, with activists warning that further escalation is likely unless the government addresses underlying grievances and ensures accountability for abuses.