Information Warfare Poses Serious Threat to National Unity
Information warfare is considered one of the most serious challenges currently facing Indonesia, as it has the potential to erode public trust in state institutions and weaken national unity. The public is therefore being urged to be more critical in responding to the various narratives circulating in the digital sphere, so as not to fall into harmful polarisation that damages the national interest.
Rasminto, Executive Director of the Human Studies Institute (HSI), said that threats to a nation today come not only from economic pressure, geopolitics or military might, but also from information warfare that continuously shapes public perception.
“Great nations can be weakened not only through military force or economic pressure. Today, information warfare has become a highly effective instrument for eroding public trust in state institutions. If that trust collapses, social cohesion weakens as well, and ultimately it is the national interest that suffers,” Rasminto said in a statement on Sunday (12 July).
According to him, information warfare does not always take the form of fake news. Issue framing, selective excerpts and the repetition of particular narratives can also influence how society views state institutions.
Rasminto believes the public must be increasingly careful when receiving information related to strategic state institutions such as the TNI, the National Police (Polri), the Attorney General’s Office and other law enforcement bodies. He stressed that criticism remains necessary in a democracy, but it must be grounded in clear data and argumentation.
“Democracy requires criticism, but good criticism always starts from data, argumentation and a desire to improve the situation. When criticism turns into a war of narratives aimed at building stigma against state institutions, what is at stake is no longer merely the image of an institution, but our own national resilience,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of maintaining trust in the justice system. In his view, a strong nation is always underpinned by law enforcement that is trusted by the people, and therefore judgement via social media must not replace the legitimate legal process.
“A state governed by law is not built on verdicts handed down on social media, but on legal processes that are independent, transparent and accountable. All parties must be given the space to obtain justice in accordance with constitutional mechanisms,” he said.
Rasminto reminded that various state policies, including those relating to security support for law enforcement institutions, need to be understood in full within the applicable legal framework, not merely through snippets of information circulating on social media.
“The digital sphere often simplifies complex issues into mere slogans or satire. Yet public policy has a legal basis, objectives and mechanisms that need to be understood comprehensively. This is where public literacy becomes important, so that people do not easily fall into emotional narratives,” he explained.
Furthermore, he invited all elements of the nation to respect every ongoing legal process while upholding the principle of presumption of innocence. Maintaining the quality of the public sphere, he said, is a shared responsibility so that it is not filled with propaganda that divides society.
Rasminto viewed President Prabowo Subianto’s call for all state officials to conduct self-reflection as needing to be interpreted as a shared commitment to strengthen the integrity of those who run the state, whilst also rebuilding public trust.
“The President reminded us that all state officials come from the people and work for the people. That mandate must be upheld with integrity, professionalism and the best possible service. At the same time, society also bears a moral responsibility to maintain the quality of the public sphere so that it does not become easily filled with propaganda that divides the nation,” he said.
According to Rasminto, Indonesia needs collective energy to face global challenges, strengthen national competitiveness and realise the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045. Differences of opinion within a democracy must therefore remain within the corridor of unity.
“Differences of opinion are the wealth of a democracy. However, unity is the foundation of this republic. Do not let Indonesia be torn apart by information warfare, wars of perception and unproductive polarisation. What the people need is fair law enforcement, strong state institutions, and leadership capable of uniting all the children of the nation towards an advanced, just and prosperous Indonesia,” he concluded.