September 2, 2025 | 06:14 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, Gerakan Pemuda Ansor (GP Ansor), has begun deploying its security unit, Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser), to support security efforts during the wave of demonstrations sweeping across Indonesia.
GP Ansor Chair Addin Jauharudin confirmed that Banser members have been tasked with assisting the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) in maintaining public order.
“This assistance is voluntary,” Addin told Tempo on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
He explained that the directive was issued in response to widespread vandalism during the week-long protests. GP Ansor, he stressed, feels a responsibility to help safeguard peace, particularly when unrest directly disrupts the community.
“The number of TNI-Polri personnel is limited, while riots keep breaking out. Should we just stand by? Of course not. We have to step in and help maintain public security,” Addin said.
He underscored that acts of destruction, such as the burning of public facilities, attacks on police stations and regional legislative offices, and looting, do not reflect genuine demonstrations. Instead, he argued, they spread fear among the public.
Addin also warned that Indonesia’s fragile economy could worsen if public funds must be diverted to repair the damage caused by rioters.
“We don’t need to add to the hardship. That’s why we are taking part in maintaining security alongside the TNI and Polri,” he said.
According to Addin, Banser’s nationwide deployment officially begins Wednesday, September 3, though some members were already on the ground as of Tuesday.
One such deployment took place in Jombang, East Java, where Banser members guarded key sites vulnerable to riots, including the regency office and the Jombang DPRD building.
The demonstrations began on August 25, 2025, sparked by outrage over extravagant allowances for council members. The movement escalated on August 28 after Affan Kurniawan, an online motorcycle taxi driver, was fatally run over by a Mobile Brigade tactical vehicle during protests in Jakarta.
Affan’s death fueled demands for justice, including a transparent investigation and the resignation of National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Opportunistic groups, however, have used the unrest to incite acts of vandalism, from burning public facilities to looting the homes of council members seen as unsympathetic to public grievances.
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