September 1, 2025 | 11:16 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Civil Society Coalition believes that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has failed to understand the people's aspirations during the recent wave of protests. According to the coalition, the public's dissatisfaction is not only about statements made by members of the House of Representatives (DPR) that are considered unsympathetic. Instead, the public is dissatisfied with a system full of injustice. "Therefore, the changes, attitudes, or decisions should refer to the desires for changes in such injustices," said Muhammad Isnur, the Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), in a collaborative video statement posted on Instagram accounts @yayasanlbhindonesia, @indonesia.hrwg, @konfederasikasbi_, @mahardhikakita, and @kontras_update, as quoted on Monday, September 1, 2025.
YLBHI is part of the coalition. This statement is a response to President Prabowo Subianto's remarks after gathering political party leaders at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Sunday, August 31, 2025. The President and political party leaders gathered to address the situation and the widespread demonstrations.
The coalition believes that the recent wave of protests over the past week is the result of a buildup of public anger. The coalition assesses that there has been a waste of public funds by officials and also significant corruption cases. "There has been a failure in managing the state budget, which then turns into extravagant savings or efficiencies," said Isnur.
According to the coalition, the misallocation of funds has impoverished the people. The Civil Society Coalition asks Prabowo to understand and appreciate the root causes of these protest waves. "Address the core issues and respect the freedom of expression," said Isnur.
Isnur emphasized that protesters should not be confronted with security forces using water cannons and tear gas. "Let alone being confronted with military actions in the field," he said. "This is clearly a setback for democracy."
Since Monday, August 25, 2025, massive protests in Jakarta have targeted the parliament. The protesters demanded transparency and a reduction in the allowances for DPR members. The legislative body was criticized for its members' high salaries and job allowances, which exceed Rp100 million per month.
The protests escalated into anger towards the police. On Thursday, August 28, 2025, an online motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver named Affan Kurniawan, 21, was killed after being run over by a Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) tactical vehicle. The incident, which was recorded by a citizen's camera, further fueled public anger.
Affan's death sparked further protests at several locations in Jakarta, including the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Headquarters, the MPR/DPR building, and several police stations in Jakarta. The protests continued until Saturday, August 30, 2025, spreading to various provincial capitals, including Bandung, Surabaya, Makassar, and Medan. Demonstrations also erupted in several other cities and regencies.
Meanwhile, several legislators in Senayan were the target of public anger amid the tense situation. Members of the National Mandate Party (PAN) in the DPR, such as Eko Patrio and Uya Kuya, as well as members of NasDem, such as Ahmad Sahroni and Nafa Urbach, were deemed unsympathetic to various public grievances.
On Sunday, August 31, 2025, President Subianto announced that all political parties in the DPR have agreed to revoke the policy on the members' allowances and impose a moratorium on official overseas visits. The Head of State stated that the firm steps taken by political party leaders towards their members include revoking their membership in the DPR. The chairperson of the parties also called on their faction leaders to prioritize the interests of the people.
Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to the writing of this article
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