Observer: Polri's Humanist Approach Key to Social-Political Stability

Political analyst Boni Hargens has expressed optimism regarding the Indonesian National Police’s (Polri) commitment to safeguarding security and public order. This follows a wave of demonstrations by campus activists and civil society groups across various regions in mid-June 2026. The protests, titled ‘Towards a Bankrupt Indonesia’, represented civil society’s aspirations concerning several policies of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

Hargens stressed that protest actions are a constitutional right of citizens in a democratic climate and must be respected by authorities and the government. Nevertheless, he urged the public to view the national economic situation in a balanced and objective manner. According to Hargens, the current economic pressures are inseparable from the impact of turbulent and unstable global geopolitical dynamics, forcing many countries to adapt policies to safeguard their domestic resilience.

‘It is a democratic right of citizens to stage protests. However, we must also be fair in acknowledging that the government is working hard to overcome difficulties arising from conflictual and unstable geopolitics,’ Hargens said on Monday (15/6/2026). While recognising these external factors, Hargens reminded the government to remain open and encouraged the cabinet to be more responsive to criticism as a form of respect for public aspirations and deliberation.

Hargens specifically commended the security approach implemented by the Police Corps under the leadership of Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. He assessed that the recent model for handling large-scale demonstrations has been far more humane, persuasive, and democratic. This measured law enforcement approach is considered a key factor in why the massive series of protests in June 2026 proceeded conducively without triggering significant escalation of violence.

‘A humanist Polri is essential in tense situations like this to maintain social-political stability, as a prerequisite for the government to implement policies relevant to the people’s condition,’ he continued. Hargens emphasised that Polri’s current performance reflects a good balance between maintaining public order and guaranteeing the protection of citizens’ civil rights. In a democratic rule-of-law state, these two values should ideally run in harmony and not negate each other. Criticism and protests from civil society elements should instead be positioned as instruments for enriching information and providing corrections so that policymakers can formulate more targeted solutions.