Expert Criticises Moral Obligation of Viral 'I'm Enough as Indonesian Citizen, Not My Children' Case

Education and child protection expert Susanto has criticised the case of a woman with the initials DS, whose social media post declaring “I’m enough as an Indonesian citizen, not my children” went viral. He raised questions about DS’s moral obligation as a recipient of a scholarship from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP).

Susanto took issue with DS’s apparent happiness that her child had obtained citizenship of another country. He argued that children have the right to determine their own nationality.

“From a constitutional perspective, citizenship is a child’s right as a legal subject, not merely a parental preference,” Susanto said on Saturday (20 February 2026).

The former chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) also raised the issue of children’s rights in the DS case. He maintained that children must genuinely consider citizenship decisions for themselves, rather than simply following their mother’s ideological stance.

“The principle of the best interests of the child requires decisions to be made for the child’s future, not as an expression of a parent’s ideological attitude towards a country. Children must truly consider this carefully, not merely fulfil their parents’ wishes,” he said.

Regarding public ethics, DS was deemed to have a moral obligation to maintain her national commitment. Susanto noted that DS had been funded by the state through the LPDP scholarship programme.

“If one’s education is funded by the state through the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education, there is a moral obligation to maintain national commitment, not merely to exploit public facilities. This is not about the end of a contribution period, but about the ethics of nationhood and statehood. In my view, this is a matter of principle,” he said.

Furthermore, he argued that the DS case should receive government attention and serve as an impetus to evaluate the scholarship selection system. State scholarship recipients need to demonstrate strong national commitment.

“This case should serve as an entry point for evaluating the LPDP scholarship recipient selection system going forward — not only competency-based selection, but also consideration of the quality of national commitment and love for the country,” he said.

LPDP Responds

LPDP scholarship recipient DS sparked controversy after declaring “I’m enough as an Indonesian citizen, not my children.” She, who currently resides in the United Kingdom, posted about her child receiving a passport from the British government.

LPDP expressed regret over the controversy. The woman was deemed not to reflect the values of integrity upheld by the institution.

“LPDP regrets the social media controversy triggered by the actions of one of its alumni, DS. These actions do not reflect the values of integrity, ethics, and professionalism that LPDP instils in all scholarship recipients,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, her husband, who is also an LPDP scholarship recipient, is suspected of not yet having completed his contribution period. The couple are known to reside in the United Kingdom.

“In accordance with regulations, all LPDP awardees and alumni are obligated to serve a contribution period in Indonesia equivalent to twice the duration of their studies plus one year,” the statement said.

“In the case of DS, who undertook a two-year programme, the contribution obligation is five years,” it added.

LPDP confirmed that DS is no longer affiliated with the institution, having completed her studies in August 2017.

“DS completed her master’s degree and graduated on 31 August 2017, and has fulfilled her entire service obligation in accordance with regulations. Accordingly, LPDP no longer has any legal bond with the individual concerned,” the statement said.

“Nevertheless, LPDP will continue to communicate with DS to urge her to exercise greater prudence in her use of social media, to be mindful of public sensitivities, and to remind her that LPDP scholarship recipients have a national obligation to serve their country,” it added.