Civic Space Declines in Indonesia Following Prabowo Presidency
Indonesia’s civic freedoms are rapidly deteriorating under the administration of Prabowo Subianto, who assumed office on October 20, 2024, after securing nearly 60 percent of the vote in the February 2024 election. Civil society organizations and human rights activists have expressed deep concern over the trajectory of democratic freedoms in the country, pointing to a severe crackdown on public dissent, media restrictions, and ongoing impunity for historical abuses.
Before entering politics, Prabowo served as a military officer. He was dishonorably discharged in 1998 due to his involvement in the abduction of political opponents of former President Suharto. Thirteen of those abducted remain missing, and Prabowo has never faced trial. The CIVICUS Monitor documented that his presidency has triggered widespread attacks on media freedom, attempts to silence critics, and the routine targeting of human rights defenders through harassment, intimidation, and prosecution.
International Obligations and Human Rights Watchlist Status
The CIVICUS Monitor, a global platform tracking civil liberties, rates Indonesia’s civic space as obstructed. In July 2025, the platform added Indonesia to its official Watchlist, which highlights countries experiencing rapid degradation of civic freedoms. These ongoing restrictions directly violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a treaty Indonesia formally ratified in 2005.
The ICCPR legally obligates the Indonesian state to protect freedoms of association, expression, and peaceful assembly—rights that are also guaranteed under the national constitution. Furthermore, the country’s current trajectory clashes with recommendations issued during the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2022. During that review, member states urged the government to foster a safe and enabling environment for civil society and human rights defenders.
Escalating Repression in the Papua Region
The crackdown on civic space is particularly severe in the Papua region. Security forces have engaged in gross human rights violations under the stated pretext of suppressing separatism, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests of activists. Papuan residents face persistent discrimination, exploitation, and repression, while the government maintains strict limits on access to the region for international civil society organizations and independent observers.
In October 2024, the UN Human Rights Committee issued concluding observations regarding Indonesia’s implementation of the ICCPR. The committee urged the government to ensure assembly restrictions comply with international law, investigate all allegations of excessive force and surveillance promptly, and guarantee the protection of individuals exercising their right to freedom of expression.
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