Megawati Institute: Fact-Finding Commission's Findings on August 2025 Events Sound Democratic Alarm, Government Must Conduct Investigation

Jakarta, VIVA – The Executive Director of the Megawati Institute, Hilmar Farid, has expressed deep concern over the findings of the Fact-Finding Commission (KPF) regarding the series of events in August 2025.

The report contains indications that the law and law enforcement processes were perceived to have been used to criminalise citizens, whilst the space for freedom of expression and democracy has increasingly narrowed.

Hilmar lamented that to this day there has been no official investigation that is independent, transparent, and accountable from the government to comprehensively answer public questions — particularly regarding civilian casualties, the use of force, and the patterns of arrest and legal proceedings.

This has not only prolonged social wounds but also weakened trust in law enforcement institutions and security governance within a democratic state.

“Violence against civilians, especially against critical young people, cannot be justified. The KPF’s findings must be read as an alarm. If the alarm is ignored, then the state is normalising methods that were abandoned since Reformasi,” he said.

According to a Kompas report, the KPF highlighted the scale of arrests and legal proceedings that were extremely extensive during the protest period. It was stated that thousands of people were arrested and hundreds among them still face legal proceedings, whilst many others were subsequently released.

All of this reinforces concerns about the practice of “trawl net” arrests — mass arrests without clear initial basis — as well as the potential politicisation of the law. This pattern creates social fear that suppresses citizens’ political participation, particularly among the younger generation.

“After the violence occurred, the public was then encouraged to believe that ‘those at fault’ were the young people who spoke out, who were allegedly incited by masterminds, provocateurs, and troublemakers. This is like the proverb ‘blaming the mirror for an ugly face.’ What must be examined are the policies that are not on the people’s side, the arbitrary responses, and the state’s failure to protect the safety of its citizens,” Hilmar continued.

The Megawati Institute also noted another important point highlighted in the report, namely indications of systematic provocation, including traces of mobilisation and escalation in the digital space, as well as allegations of the existence of “hired mobs” and coordinated patterns of rioting and looting.

If these findings prove true, then the case for why the state must not rely on simplistic narratives that blame civic movements as “riots” — whilst ignoring investigations into the actors, networks, and more complex patterns involved — becomes all the stronger.