September 2, 2025 | 04:53 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, has responded to a request from the United Nations Human Rights Office to investigate alleged human rights violations by security forces during recent mass protests.
Natalius stated that the UN's statement on human rights was "too late," claiming the Indonesian government had already taken swift action. "Too late! Indonesia has taken faster steps, 3 days ahead of the UNHCHR spokesperson," he said in an official statement on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
Natalius detailed three steps taken by President Prabowo Subianto after the death of Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old online motorcycle taxi driver who was struck by a police tactical vehicle on August 28, 2025.
On August 29, 2025, Prabowo reportedly expressed shock at the excessive police actions and took firm action against the officers responsible.
On the same day, he participated in the victim's family's recovery and guaranteed their welfare. Two days later, on August 31, 2025, Prabowo made an official statement regarding the demonstrations.
Natalius noted that Prabowo had quoted the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which respects freedom of expression, assembly, and law enforcement in accordance with international human rights standards.
According to Natalius, the legal process is currently underway. The Indonesian government will uphold freedom of expression while also providing recovery for the victims.
The UNHCHR spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, had previously urged a comprehensive investigation into the security forces' handling of the recent wave of protests.
"We call for prompt, thorough, and transparent investigations into all alleged violations of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force," Shamdasani said, as quoted from the UNHCHR official website on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
She emphasized the importance of dialogue to address public concerns and stressed that security forces must uphold the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, with measures to maintain order aligning with international norms.
Since August 25, 2025, various elements of society have been protesting in different regions, opposing a substantial increase in parliamentary allowances amid worsening economic conditions, as well as tax hikes and other government policies.
The initial target of the mass protests was the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Central Jakarta. These protests turned into riots. The death of Affan Kurniawan further inflamed public anger, leading to protests against police brutality and the burning of several police stations and regional legislative council (DPRD) buildings.
According to Tempo's records, these protests have led to the death of nine civilians. Four of them occurred in Makassar, with three individuals dying in a fire at the Makassar DPRD office and one person beaten to death by a crowd on Urip Sumoharjo Street.
Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to this report
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