Butet Kartaredjasa: Saiful's Statement is the Starting Point of the Revolution

Artist Butet Kartaredjasa has defended the statement by UIN Syarif Hidayatullah professor Saiful Mujani regarding efforts to topple President Prabowo Subianto. According to Butet, the statement is part of freedom of opinion and expression.

Butet stated that the criticism from Saiful Mujani and several observers marks the starting point of a revolution due to the chaotic socio-political situation that is increasingly troubling civil society. According to her, the militaristic Prabowo-Gibran regime is more evil than the New Order regime led by Soeharto because it distances itself from democratic values and human rights. “Prabowo’s cabinet is full of rubbish,” said Butet when contacted by Tempo on Monday, 20 April 2026.

The artist from Yogyakarta touched on the increasingly dominant role of the military in various aspects of civilian life. Civil society resistance, said Butet, could become unstoppable like the 1998 demonstrations if the government fails to handle several issues, such as rises in fuel and staple goods prices, and human rights enforcement. “There will be riots if the people are starving. It could become uncontrollable and happen quickly,” she said.

She also spotlighted the acid attack case against the Deputy Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence or Kontras, Andrie Yunus. Butet called the statement by the Military Auditor 07-Jakarta that the motive for the Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) soldier’s acid attack on Andrie was based on revenge as implausible. Additionally, she criticised the military judicial system for lacking transparency. According to Butet, the trial of Andrie’s case should be handed over to a civilian court to ensure accountability.

Previously, Saiful Mujani’s statement at an event titled Before Observers Are Disciplined at the Utan Kayu Community, Jakarta, on Monday, 30 March 2026, led to a mobbing of the office of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), the polling and political consulting agency founded by Saiful.

Before Saiful’s statement, Prabowo said he would discipline observers. Saiful was reported to the police on charges of inciting people to rebel against the authorities. Additionally, constitutional law lecturer from Andalas University, Feri Amsari, and lecturer from Jakarta State University Ubedilah Badrun were also reported to the police for criticising the Prabowo-Gibran government in several events. “We must continue to fight against the stifling of criticism,” said Butet.