Why Did Indonesia Experience Civil Unrest? Analyzing Indonesia’s Protests
- Credible Comment
- Sep 25, 2025
- 5 min read
On August 25th, 2025, protests erupted in Indonesia in response to public dissatisfaction with proposed legislation that would grant increased benefits to Indonesian lawmakers. The law, raised in the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), proposed a 50 million rupiah ($3,000) monthly housing allowance for lawmakers, more than 10 times the average monthly minimum wage. With wages stagnating and the costs of living continuing on an upward trend, the law produced discontent among the working class, and protests began in the capital of Jakarta.
However, peaceful protests soon took a rapid turn with the killing of Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old Rideshare delivery driver from Jakarta. Kurniawan was completing a delivery in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta, when a military tactical vehicle ran him over while patrolling the area. From that point onward, protest turnout and tensions with police have been escalating on a rapid scale.
Tensions Amid the Indonesian Government’s Response
The Indonesian government, led by President Prabowo Subianto, responded in force to the recent protests. Prabowo held a press conference ordering the military and police to take the “firmest actions possible” against rioters and looters, linking protestors with terrorism and treason.
Andra, a 22-year-old social media administrator who attended the protests, noted that the demonstrations remain largely peaceful but highlighted continued concerns facing the public.
“The situation has been complicated by the actions of unidentified individuals who carried out arson attacks on the DPR building and the [ Mobile Brigade Corps] Headquarters,” he notes.
“At the same time, there were reports of attacks by both the police and the military against civilians.”
Many reports have shown this tough enforcement playing out across the country. Ten people have been killed and more than 3,000 have been arrested, with more than 1,200 of those being from Jakarta. Finally, more than 1,000 have been identified as suspects.
International human rights groups have raised cause for concerns about the government’s response to the ongoing situation. Amnesty International called the comments an insensitive response to protesters’ grievances, and the UN Human Rights Office called for immediate investigations into the alleged freedom of speech violations.
Nonetheless, the government has continued its forceful crackdown on protest movements across the country.
The Controversial Presidency of Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo has had a long history of controversies even before his presidency began. Before politics, the president served as a lieutenant in East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that Indonesia took over in 1976. While East Timor – now more commonly known as Timor-Leste – gained independence more than 20 years later, Prabowo’s experience in the country was marked by alleged war crimes against civilians. These abuses produced concern when Prabowo took office as Indonesia’s eighth president late last year.
Other human rights violations exist for Prabowo, including allegations of abduction of former democracy activists during the 1990s, and being the son-in-law of a former Indonesian dictator, Suharto.
Fears remain that Prabowo could follow in his history of violence in dealing with democratic protests.
Current Issues Facing Indonesians at Home
While there are many notable issues facing Indonesians at home, there are 4 key problems directly related to the ongoing protests: cost of living, rising unemployment, corruption, and freedom of expression.
Cost of Living
The main criticism by protesters is that the government is increasing lawmaker benefits while a majority of the population is dealing with rising costs of living. Indonesia has seen higher food prices in recent years, and core inflation has ticked up to more than 2% for each month since September 2024. Reports have also shown that Indonesia has seen a shrinking middle class, caused by an increase in taxes and rising costs of healthcare and education. These factors come as the World Bank reports stagnated wages in recent years, further contributing to public frustration over the rising costs of living.
Rising Youth Unemployment
The rising unemployment rate affecting young adults is another issue facing the public. According to recent reports, more than 13% of young Indonesians were unemployed in 2024. While the unemployment rate decreased slightly from one year prior, young Indonesians remain the highest unemployed demographic in the country, likely due to increased automation and limited entry-level positions across sectors.
Ongoing Corruption
As the protests were initially caused by lawmakers introducing a large payment increase for themselves, ongoing corruption remains a focal point. Instances of bribery when seeking public office and a weakened judicial system have occurred in the recent past. These instances help explain why Transparency International has given Indonesia a score of 37 out of 100 on corruption.
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression remains a leading cause for concern as the government’s response continues to unfold. On August 30th, protest livestreams on TikTok were removed from the platform, raising concerns over freedom of information. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, claims the suspension was to “keep TikTok a safe and civil space.” It is unclear whether the government directly ordered the suspension.
As thousands have been arrested over the past couple of weeks, questions remain regarding whether these arrests were efforts to reduce public demonstrations of disapproval against the government.
What Are Other Nations Saying?
The UN has called for restraint and investigations into the use of force, and several international human rights organizations raised concerns over using the police and military in response to the protest movement.
Regional government officials from Malaysia have called for a swift and peaceful resolution to the ongoing demonstrations, and have since affirmed their continuous relationship with the Indonesian government.
Travel warnings have been issued by the embassies of Australia, Canada, and the United States over the past week over concerns of citizen safety amidst the ongoing demonstrations.
Many Southeast Asian countries are not commenting on the incidents that are taking place. This is likely due to the “ASEAN Way,” the official anthem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The ASEAN Way is an integral part of the agreement framework, where each nation gives total respect for sovereignty. Southeast Asian nations cannot express concerns about a fellow member even if they wanted to.
What’s Next for Indonesia’s Future?
Difficulties remain for Indonesia despite President Prabowo renouncing the monetary care package legislation for lawmakers.
First, the Indonesian government lacks a clear strategy to reduce the rising costs of living, a significant cause of the protests. The combination of inflation, rising unemployment, and stagnant wages are complex issues that require a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of more than 283 million people living in Indonesia.
Second, while the care package for lawmakers was taken away at this time, there are questions as to whether this type of legislation may again be tried at a later date. If the protests end with no clear consensus on resolving corruption regarding increased lawmaker benefits, the risk of reintroducing these benefits to the House of Representatives could happen in the future. This reintroduction would likely be tried with limited media coverage to avoid the potential for more protests to occur.
Finally, the forceful response to the protests has created one new concern: whether freedom of speech rights are being stripped away from everyday citizens who want a fairer and more inclusive society for all Indonesians.
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