Amnesty International Exposes Coordinated Disinformation Campaigns Targeting Indonesian Activists
Amnesty International has released a damning report detailing how coordinated disinformation campaigns, backed by Indonesian authorities and military-linked actors, are being used to silence activists, journalists, and human rights defenders. The report, titled “Building up Imaginary Enemies”, reveals a systematic effort to discredit critics of President Prabowo Subianto’s government by labeling them as “foreign agents,” a tactic that has escalated since his election in 2024.
The Mechanisms of Disinformation
The report highlights how military-connected social media accounts have been instrumental in spreading false narratives. These campaigns, often amplified by platforms like Meta, TikTok, X, and YouTube, have led to online slurs that precede real-world intimidation and violence against dissenters. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, stated, “Authoritarian practices have accelerated in Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto’s government. Disinformation is a political weapon deployed to consolidate power while demonizing those who speak out.”
According to the report, state-aligned actors have used coordinated disinformation to portray human rights defenders, journalists, and protesters as “enemies” manipulated by foreign powers. This rhetoric has created a climate of fear, with many activists and journalists self-censoring to avoid online attacks. One Greenpeace Indonesia activist, Iqbal Damanik, shared, “I received so many direct messages from anonymous users. Some threatened to kill me. One
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