Event Summary
Following an acid attack on KontraS Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated on 13 March 2026 he would “bring under control” analysts who criticize his administration, framing such criticism as unpatriotic and influenced by foreign powers. The statements are particularly threatening, considering that Yunus’ attackers were identified as members of Indonesia’s military intelligence (BAIS TNI), indicating potential involvement of superiors.
Prabowo Subianto’s anti-criticism rhetoric, repeated in multiple speeches, signals a shrinking of civic space and growing threats to democracy in Indonesia. Analysts have found that Subianto had made at least 17 remarks targeting those who criticize his policies since his inauguration in late 2024, often accusing them of being ‘foreign agents’. Such narratives are not only intended to delegitimize CSOs, they also risk leading to stricter laws, including limits on foreign funding, heightened surveillance, and burdensome regulations for civil society organizations (CSOs). A draft Presidential Regulation, first circulated in January 2026 and expanding TNI roles in demonstrations further threatens to blur the line between security and civil freedoms. Amnesty International Indonesia notes that intelligence agencies are monitoring critics, misusing their mandate under Law No. 17 of 2011, which is intended for national security threats—not civil society oversight. Prabowo’s repeated framing of critics as “foreign agents” echoes the New Order era under Soeharto, marked by media bans, academic controls, stigmatization, and suppression of dissent. Continued normalization of anti-criticism rhetoric may reframe dissent as illegitimate or anti-national, eroding accountability mechanisms and democratic institutions.
Overall, these developments represent a serious threat to Indonesia’s enabling environment, with the potential for structural changes that concentrate power, restrict freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, and broadly contract civic space. Without corrective action, the combination of state overreach, targeted intimidation, and regulatory constraints could result in widespread democratic backsliding.