October 22, 2025 | 03:28 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A recent survey by the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) suggests that Indonesia’s freedom of expression and civil liberties have not improved in the first year of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s administration.
Majority See Little or No Progress
According to Celios legal researcher Muhammad Saleh, 35 percent of respondents said there has been no improvement in the condition of free speech and civil liberties compared to the previous government. Meanwhile, 28 percent believed that such freedoms remain “very unprotected.”
“Only 13 percent of respondents feel that civil liberties are currently protected,” Saleh said in the Celios report released on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Saleh explained that the survey indicates a growing perception among the public that the space for free expression is narrowing.
He cited several contributing factors, including the use of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, the security-heavy approach to protests, and legal proceedings that lack transparency or due process.
Declining Freedom Under the Previous Administration
Concerns about shrinking civic space are not new. During Joko Widodo’s presidency, surveys conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia also recorded rising fear among citizens to express opinions publicly.
In a 2020 survey, 47.7 percent of respondents said they “somewhat agreed” that people were increasingly afraid to express their views, while 21.9 percent said they were “very afraid.”
At the time, Indikator’s Executive Director Burhanuddin Muhtadi said the findings pointed to growing threats against freedom of speech and civil liberties.
“The majority of the public tend to agree that people are increasingly afraid to voice their opinions,” Burhan said on October 25, 2020.
Two years later, in 2022, Indikator’s follow-up survey found that 62.9 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that citizens were more afraid to express opinions during the Jokowi–Ma’ruf Amin administration.
“The results are very interesting. We found that fear of expressing opinions continued to increase,” Indikator researcher Kennedy Muslim said on April 8, 2022.
Crackdown on Protests and Activists
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) observed that restrictions on free speech have worsened under the Prabowo-Gibran government. YLBHI Chair Muhammad Isnur said authorities have intensified repressive actions and criminalization against pro-democracy activists.
YLBHI recorded that 5,444 people were arrested during demonstrations at the end of August, and 997 were named suspects.
“In Jakarta, for example, six activists were charged with incitement. This sets a worrying precedent,” Isnur said.
He added that the narrowing space for free speech was further legitimized by President Prabowo’s remarks labeling demonstrators as subversive or terrorist actors during the August unrest.
“Instead of identifying the real perpetrators, the government is criminalizing activists who express dissent,” he said. “Democracy is not in good shape — both during Jokowi’s and Prabowo’s eras.”
Government Yet to Respond
Tempo has reached out to State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Deputy State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro to seek comments regarding the survey findings and the public criticism of restricted civic space.
As of publication, messages sent via WhatsApp showed only two gray ticks, indicating they had been delivered but not read.
Editor’s Choice: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Meets with Prabowo Upon Arrival in Jakarta
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Government Slashes Subsidized Fertilizer Prices by 20 Percent
1 jam lalu
Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman ensures that the reduction in subsidized fertilizer prices does not burden the state budget.
President Cyril Ramaphosa Invites Indonesian Ministers to South Africa
1 jam lalu
South Africa has expressed interest in collaborating with Indonesia and the other countries in the BRICS economic bloc to promote global reforms.
Union Calls on Prabowo to Issue Regulation Protecting Online Ojek Drivers
3 jam lalu
The Indonesian Transportation Workers Union (SPAI) urged President Prabowo Subianto to swiftly issue a regulation protecting online transport workers.
Survey Ranks Finance Minister Purbaya Top Performer in Prabowo's First Year in Office
3 jam lalu
Indonesia Political Opinion conducted a survey on ministers considered to have the best performance in a survey marking the first year of Prabowo's administration.
Indonesian Gov't Still Seeking Funding for Giant Sea Wall Project
3 jam lalu
The Indonesian gov't is still exploring funding sources for the Giant Sea Wall project to save millions of lives in the northern coastal areas of Java
Trump Praises Prabowo's Offer to Deploy Peacekeeping Troops to Gaza
4 jam lalu
US President Donald Trump suggested that several countries in the Middle East have offered to send troops to Gaza to combat Hamas.
Inside Indonesia's Maung Pindad: Technical Specs for Ministers' Official Cars
4 jam lalu
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto calls for ministers and heads of agencies to use Maung cars produced by PT Pindad as official state cars.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Meets with Prabowo Upon Arrival in Jakarta
5 jam lalu
The President of South Africa, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa's aircraft touched down at Halim at around 07:40 a.m. local time.
Government Positions for Prabowo's Close Associates
6 jam lalu
Prabowo gives people close to him government positions, going as far as to create entirely new positions for his followers.
Why Indonesian Activists Fear Criminalization During Prabowo-Gibran Reign
22 jam lalu
A number of pro-democracy activists are concerned about speaking up after facing intimidation by the police.
