Indonesia’s Wake Up Call: From Awareness to Contribution
From the clothes we wear, the matcha we love, to the chaotic protests and policies being drafted, politics permeate through every crevice of our lives. Most people find comfort in not knowing about politics and opting to stay in the dark under the guise that “politics is too complicated,” or it’s “not affecting” them. There is a tendency to underestimate the importance of people’s awareness¹ as to how even the smallest support—like digital awareness—can make an impact.
It all began with Prabowo Subianto’s rise to power as the eighth president of the world’s third largest democracy, Indonesia, in October 2024. His political background under Soeharto’s regime as a lieutenant general² and his involvement in the abduction of activists in May 1998³ and Indonesia’s Occupation of Timor Leste⁴ ⁵, sparked disputes and criticism from the Indonesian public.
Following the reign of his presidency, tax raises⁶ - implemented during his programmes, including free meals, Danantara and joining BRICS - intense budget cuts, and layoffs have amassed a nationwide demonstration to occur. It has come to a point where Indonesian diasporas from various parts of the world have been gathering to speak up on this crisis, highlighting the urgency of the matter.
The outcry reached its peak on 25 August, where protests from Indonesian university students erupted against the 50 million rupiah⁷ (5,000 AUD) housing allowance that members of the parliament received. Their total wage amounted to 104 million houses, which is the equivalent to $10,000 AUD; this was a striking contrast to the nation’s minimum monthly wage that was only 5 million rupiah, or $500 AUD.
On 28 August, the labour group protested against the government’s unfair policies towards the public, including mass layoffs, outsourcing, low income, and other questionably proposed bills.⁸ Tragically, an innocent motorcycle taxi driver named Affan Kurniawan, happened to be passing by when a police tactical vehicle ran him over. This caused public outrage and protests began to escalate.⁹
The police responded with brute force, shooting tear gas and water cannons, as well as attacking unarmed civilians¹⁰. The government has also taken extreme measures by shutting down the livestreaming features of several social media platforms, namely Instagram and TikTok¹¹. As of recently, 10 people have lost their lives¹², 20 people remain missing¹³, and 600 people are still detained by the police¹⁴ . Among the people that were arrested, many were activists that were wrongfully convicted for “instigating riots” when in reality, they were simply providing legal services or voicing out their opinions about the current situation¹⁵. These efforts were taken to silence the public, restrict the flow of information, and discourage people from speaking up.
The latest updates in the ongoing political situation is the revised monthly wage of the members of parliament, posted by BBC Indonesia on X¹⁶ where some categories were reduced, showing an overall amount of 65 million rupiah ($6,000 AUD per month) in their monthly wages. As a result of these protests, the president has also decided to restructure the cabinet¹⁷, replacing the positions of certain ministers¹⁸.
One of the ways for the public to vocalise their discontent and anger towards the government has taken shape in the form of digital activism, with the colors pink and green¹⁹ becoming a symbol of the revolution. During the early days of the protest, a video went viral of a woman donning a pink hijab who bravely expressed her anger in front of a line of policemen. Pink was then dubbed as a color that represented bravery and the right for anyone - no matter their standing in society - to stand up for their beliefs. Whereas, green symbolises the helmet of the motorcycle taxi driver that lost his life, representing the hope and power that blooms out of loss. This goes to show the power of the people’s voices.
A photo of the woman in a pink hijab expressing her anger towards the police holding an Indonesian flag (Photo Source: CNN Indonesia, Adhi Wicaksono)
A photo of the taxi driver jacket “Gojek” on the road (Photo source: KrAsia)
Indonesia’s long history of reformation has always involved the presence of the youth as agents of change. This time, it was proven when among the masses: most of the people who participated in the protests, alongside labour groups and common people, were university students. Indonesian students who were also undergoing studies abroad also expressed their anger and sadness towards the government through marches and gatherings.
This is a call to Indonesian students, especially the ones in Deakin University, to be aware of what is happening in Indonesia. With digitisation, activism is more accessible for students to contribute to the movement, such as being aware of the medics team and donation organisations that look after injured people due to the protests—like Jaga Sesama—and raising awareness on social media platforms. During such a critical time where the government is taking drastic attempts to silence the people’s voices, it is our job to inform the international community about what is happening in Indonesia to increase pressure. These are steps that we should take in ensuring that justice is delivered and the government takes accountability for the lives that have been lost and the chaos they have caused.
1 Sinurat, R., Difa, A., Ariella, A., Kiyosawa, N., Satyadewi, I., ‘Apatis Menyapa, Apa Kabar Idealis: Apatisme Politik Gen Z’, BEM Universitas Udayana Departemen Kajian dan Analisis Isu Strategis (2024), https://bem.unud.ac.id/protected/storage/lampiran_post/45497bdb30b5bba02733606a57fa0b7a.pdf, accessed 10 Sep 2025.
2 Mao, F., ’Siapa Prabowo Subianto, politisi 'darah biru' dengan masa lalu kelam yang bakal memimpin Indonesia?’, BBC News Indonesia (17 Feb 2024), https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/cjrkz0kwyq2o, accessed 8 Sep 2025.
3 Muhid, H. K., ‘27 Tahun Reformasi: Tim Mawar Pion Penculikan Aktivis 1998’, Tempo (20 May 2025), https://www.tempo.co/politik/27-tahun-reformasi-tim-mawar-pion-penculikan-aktivis-1998-1493750, accessed 8 Sep 2025.
4 Heizar, E., ‘Hari Ini di Tahun 1976, Ketika Indonesia Menduduki Timor Timur’, Tempo (17 Jul 2022), https://www.tempo.co/politik/hari-ini-di-tahun-1976-ketika-indonesia-menduduki-timor-timur-321988, accessed 8 Sep 2025.
5 Azzahra, N., ‘Aktivis HAM dan Korban Pelanggaran Timor Leste Tolak Prabowo Jadi Capres, Ingat Aneksasi Timor Timur’ Tempo (10 Nov 2023), https://www.tempo.co/politik/aktivis-ham-dan-korban-pelanggaran-timor-leste-tolak-prabowo-jadi-capres-ingat-aneksasi-timor-timur-122271, accessed 8 Sep 2025.
6 Sulaiman, S., and Teresia, A., ‘Indonesia's regional budget cuts set to spur more local tax hikes and public outrage’, Reuters (22 Aug 2025), https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesias-regional-budget-cuts-set-spur-more-local-tax-hikes-public-outrage-2025-08-22/, accessed 14 Sep 2025.
7 Mardianti, D. L., ‘Kronologi Demo Memprotes DPR hingga Meluas Berubah Penjarahan’, Tempo (31 Aug 2025), https://www.tempo.co/politik/kronologi-demo-memprotes-dpr-hingga-meluas-berubah-penjarahan-2065182#goog_rewarded, accessed 8 Sep 2025.
8 Mardianti, D. L., ‘Kronologi Demo Memprotes DPR hingga Meluas Berubah Penjarahan’, Tempo (31 Aug 2025), https://www.tempo.co/politik/kronologi-demo-memprotes-dpr-hingga-meluas-berubah-penjarahan-2065182#goog_rewarded, accessed 8 Sep 2025.
9 AFP, ‘Widespread unrest in Indonesia after driver killed by police vehicle’, The Jakarta Post (30 Aug 2025), https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/08/30/widespread-unrest-in-indonesia-after-driver-killed-by-police-vehicle.html accessed 8 Sep 2025.
10 Redaksiku, ‘Ketegangan di Kwitang Memuncak Lagi: Demo Kwitang Malam Hari Diselimuti Pemadaman Listrik’ (31 Aug 2025), https://www.redaksiku.com/ketegangan-di-kwitang-memuncak-lagi-demo-kwitang/, accessed 9 Sep 2025.
11 Safenet Voice, ‘Statement on Digital Repression During the August 2025 Indonesian Protests’ (31 Aug 2025), https://safenet.or.id/2025/08/statement-on-digital-repression-during-the-august-2025-indonesian-protests/, accessed 10 Sep 2025.
12 Situmorang, H.,’Ten Killed in Week of Protests and Riots Across Indonesia’ JakartaGlobe ID (2 Sep 2025), https://jakartaglobe.id/news/ten-killed-in-week-of-protests-and-riots-across-indonesia#goog_rewarded, accessed 10 Sep 2025.
13 Rarcliffe, R., ‘Twenty missing in Indonesia protests, rights group says’ The GuardianI (2 Sep 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/02/indonesia-protests-twenty-missing-rights-group-says, accessed 9 sep 2025.
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15 Human Rights Watch, ‘ Indonesia: End Crackdown on Protesters, Arbitrary Detention’ (3 Sep 2025), https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/03/indonesia-end-crackdown-on-protesters-arbitrary-detention, accessed 10 Sep 2025.
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Writers: Keenan Jeremy and Aisyah Adriano
Editor: Natalie Charlesworth
Reference List
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Image Reference List
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