Indonesian National Police Deemed Capable of Securing Protests, Including 'Black September' Issues
Political, legal, and intelligence issues analyst Boni Hargunds is confident that the Indonesian National Police (Polri) can handle large-scale actions associated with ‘Black September’.
He emphasised that the Polri institution will carry out its constitutional duty to maintain public security and order (Kamtibmas) while respecting the civil rights guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution and Law No. 9 of 1998 regarding the Freedom to Express Opinions in Public.
“The balance between these two constitutional mandates is not merely a matter of technical operational field work, but a matter of Polri’s institutional legitimacy in the eyes of the public today and in the future,” Boni stated in a written statement on Thursday, 10 September 2026.
Boni believes that the ‘PRESISI’ paradigm, which serves as the foundation for the leadership of the Chief of National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, provides a relevant conceptual framework.
“This approach encourages Polri to be proactive, rather than reactive, in managing potential social conflicts. In other words, early detection, open communication, and de-escalation are the main priorities before law enforcement measures are applied,” said Boni.
He asserted that Polri has a strong track record in handling major actions. The key to success, Boni continued, lies in the consistency of the approach, namely that every action must be legally accountable (pro justitia), proportional to the actual threat, and always based on the principle of respect for human dignity.
One of the most crucial elements in handling the ‘Black September’ issue is the quality of coordination between the three pillars of national security: Polri as the guardian of public security and order and as a law enforcement institution with pro justitia authority; the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) as the producer of strategic information; and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) as the supporting strategic force.
“The coordination of Polri, TNI, and BIN is an inevitability. Cross-sectoral collaboration allows each institution to play an optimal role in early prevention, mitigation steps, including enforcement, and post-factum measures such as efforts to ease tension and reconciliation between protesters and the state,” Boni emphasised.
As information, Polri has begun to be wary of the potential for demonstrations said to be related to the Black September issue. The Deputy Chief of National Police, Commissioner General Dedi Prasetyo, has requested his ranks to increase readiness, particularly in facing predicted actions that will be centred on 24 September 2026.