Observer Says Security Forces Able to Prevent 'Black Swan' During 27 August Protest

Political and intelligence observer Boni Hargens has assessed that the Indonesian National Police (Polri) was able to maintain national stability following the mass demonstration that took place on 27 August 2026. According to Boni, coordination between Polri, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) prevented the emergence of a black swan phenomenon, a term referring to unexpected events that have the potential to trigger destructive damage to national stability.

“Thanks to the hard work of Polri together with the TNI and BIN, the state succeeded in preventing a black swan from emerging during the mass action on 27 August. This could become a precedent going forward that inter-agency coordination and collaboration is a necessity in maintaining security,” Boni said in Jakarta on Friday (28/8/2026).

Boni assessed that securing large-scale mass actions can no longer be assigned to a single institution alone. According to him, the modern security approach in Indonesia demands cross-sectoral synergy in order to anticipate the escalation of conflict on the ground from an early stage.

He assessed that solid cooperation between the police, the military and intelligence analysis created layered security that was able to read and mitigate potential disruptions before they spread into a crisis of sovereignty or public order.

Internal security stability is an absolute requirement so that the government’s development and economic growth programmes can run optimally. Boni emphasised that even misleading opinions can become highly effective if disseminated at the right moment. Boni assessed that the new Polri Law, including the strengthening of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) within it, will facilitate the realisation of fundamental restoration within Polri. The involvement of Polri provides an implicit security guarantee that increases tourist confidence.