Prabowo: Indonesia Will Not Tolerate Being Constantly Provoked

Jakarta (ANTARA) — President Prabowo Subianto stressed that Indonesia would not tolerate being constantly provoked, saying that since independence the country had repeatedly faced intervention by major powers seeking to incite division and fund rebellions.

“Indonesia is often insulted. But believe me, the Indonesian people do not want to be constantly disturbed. And the Indonesian people cannot be stopped,” Prabowo said as he opened a plenary Cabinet meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Prabowo described Indonesians as courteous and patient, but said the country was attacked whenever it tried to rise, because the archipelago’s natural wealth had been plundered for hundreds of years.

The President cited past rebellions as examples of a divide-and-rule strategy, including DI/TII, the Army of the Righteous Ruler (APRA), the Republic of South Maluku (RMS), PRRI/Permesta and the 1948 rebellion.

He also recalled the 1997–98 crisis, when many predicted—and hoped—that Indonesia would break apart.

“They were convinced Indonesia would split in 1999 or 2000. It turned out we had sufficiently strong national resilience, ladies and gentlemen,” Prabowo said.

The President called on the police, prosecutors and the Ministry of Forestry, supported by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and intelligence agencies, to investigate the case thoroughly and revoke the permits of companies found to have violated the law, including companies from certain countries that frequently insult Indonesia.

Prabowo also referred to the smuggling of tin, gold, coal, timber, fuel and subsidised fertiliser, which he likened to the nation’s blood continuing to leak away.