State Urged to Restore Civil Society Sovereignty

The Republic Conference held at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) resulted in three demands: restoring civil society sovereignty, building a new republican structure to restore public trust, and uniting all civil forces. The forum mandated Sudirman Said, as Committee Chair, and Yanuar Nugroho, as General Secretary, to advance the process with an urgent working meeting. ‘Traditionally, in the name of independence, civil society has been uneasy engaging with political parties as if it were undignified, yet decisions are made there. It is time to adopt a new paradigm with greater confidence. The true role of civil society is to build bridges and engage with all elements—politicians, military, and police—so that state decisions are based on data and evidence,’ Sudirman Said stated on Sunday, 31 May 2026. ‘This is not a practical political movement or electoral agenda. It is a space for idea exchange starting in Yogyakarta and must expand to other cities and communities,’ he said. According to Yanuar, what unites them is shared concern. ‘This is not the unease of a few activists; it is the collective anxiety of civil society across various regions,’ he added. Yanuar confirmed the conference was self-organised with hundreds of civil society organisations (CSOs), without any sponsors. ‘The entire process was carried out collectively through a spirit of mutual cooperation. Speakers attended self-funded as a tangible show of solidarity for the republic,’ Yanuar said. Bhima Yudhistira of CELIOS stated, ‘This is a marathon effort to conceptualise progressive ideas that have been fragmented due to a lack of collective leadership. It is not merely passing the baton to the younger generation, but a clear division of roles and responsibilities across and within generations.’