UGM's Republic Conference Highlights Shrinking Civil Space
Hundreds of civil society organisations, activists, and academics convened at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta on Saturday, 30 May 2026, for the Republic Conference to reflect on the nation’s current state.
Yanuar Nugroho, Secretary-General of the Conference Committee, explained that the full-day forum highlighted the shrinking civil space. He stated the conference concluded that collective efforts are needed to preserve this space. “Indonesian civil society feels the need to organise and consolidate itself to ensure the shrinking civil space becomes a space for citizens again,” he said when contacted on Sunday, 31 May 2026.
He added that the narrowing civil space is a key issue facing Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. He noted the lack of public deliberation spaces, procedural democratic practices, and formalistic participation as signs of this shrinkage. “This is due to state repression that views public criticism and input as threats,” Yanuar said.
Yanuar stated that spaces for expression and networking among civil citizens are essential for shaping the nation’s future. Indonesia is also grappling with development challenges due to suboptimal implementation, he added. Weak state capacity in development, he explained, stems from widespread conflicts of interest and government incompetence. “Including the demise of meritocracy and technocracy, alongside rampant corruption,” said the founder of Nalar Institute.
In a separate statement, Sudirman Said, Chairman of the Conference Committee, described the meeting as a space for reflecting on dispersed ideas across various movements. The conference aims to unite, clarify, and transform these thoughts into an organised collective will. “This forum is, in essence, continuing the historical call. The Republic was driven by civil society long before the state existed. Therefore, the strength of civil society must be restored as a central axis actively contributing to the Republic’s fate,” said the former Energy and Mineral Resources Minister in a written statement on Friday, 29 May 2026.
Sudirman noted that history shows civil society has always been at the forefront for the people and societal change, including leading the independence movement. However, he added, the emergence of civil society movements was an unintended consequence of ethical politics.
Among the attendees were figures such as Jaleswari Pramodhawardani from Lab 45, Andi Widjajanto (former Lemhannas Governor), Arie Sujito (Sociologist at UGM’s FISIPOL), Father Leo Kleden from IFTK Ledalero, Alissa Wahid from Jaringan Gusdurian, Zainal Arifin Mochtar (Professor of Constitutional Law at UGM), Bhima Yudhistira from CELIOS, Titi Anggraini from Perludem, Victoria Fanggidae from The Prakarsa, Chandra Hamzah (former KPK Commissioner), and Yanuar Nugroho from Nalar Institute.
The conference featured seven panels discussing issues including models of public participation institutionalisation, national civil society consolidation strategies, economic justice and economic democracy, rule of law and anti-corruption, ecological crises and growth limits, knowledge democratisation, and models of active and deliberative citizenship.