The Fracture of an Archipelago

When a corrupt government shows its true colours, and how those in power line their own pockets with no regard for their constituents, it is no surprise that the people start fighting back. When an innocent civilian doing his job is murdered in cold blood at the hands of the police during this resistance, it sparks an even stronger flame within the resistance. Since the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto, the current cabinet has been mired with controversies and troubles. From economic crashes, multiple violent protests, to a new finance minister who immediately went under public scrutiny when he was appointed, a lot has happened.

As covered in a previous article, Indonesia's economy is falling apart, the country has been undergoing severe economic downturns as a result of unrealistic campaign promises. Arguably, the government’s promise of the continuing of an economic golden age for the general public has been nothing but a lie, as financial forecasts see a whole host of indicators, such as Foreign Investment and Domestic Spending, to be on the decline, in addition to a persistently increasing fiscal deficit since the start of the presidency [1].

In August, it was uncovered that the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR), Indonesia’s equivalent to the House of Representatives, approved themselves a monthly housing allowance of Rp. 50 Million (£2240), on top of existing food and transport stipends, with a former member of the DPR alleging that the monthly salary of those supposedly “serving the people” would not be Rp. 230 Million, but instead breaking into the Billions of rupiah [2].

These issues have sparked widespread unrest and protests. The first to manifest was Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia), a protest against the government, accusing the government of ignoring the problems that have arisen since the start of Prabowo’s presidency. Protestors cite a crackdown on free speech because of increased military involvement within local law enforcement, and claim that President Prabowo is a puppet of his predecessor Joko Widodo (Jokowi). This position is supported by the fact that the Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is Jokowi’s son and was only able to run as vice-president after a supreme court ruling led by Anwar Usman, Jokowi’s Brother-in-Law [3].

The second protest was 17+8, sparked as a result of the housing allowance given to the DPR. The demonstrations intensified due to lingering problems from the previous protest, and the murder of a delivery driver by police cars in a hit and run. The public has issued a list of demands for the government known as 17+8, featuring 17 short term goals, due on the 5th of September, 2025 and 8 long term goals with the purpose of improving the nation, due on the 31st of August, 2026 [4]. Despite these deadlines, of the 17 short term goals, only 7 have seen any reasonable attempt at completion, and none have been anywhere near fulfillment. Protests have also been noted from across national borders, with cities all over the world with significant Indonesian diasporas and student populations protesting at Indonesian embassies from all over the world [5].

In an attempt to salvage the situation and turn around Indonesia’s economic fortunes, the president dismissed multiple cabinet ministers [6], including Sri Mulyani, the finance minister behind Indonesia’s economic golden age throughout the Jokowi presidency, and replaced her with Prabuya Yudhi Sadewa, former chairman of the Indonesian Deposit Insurance Corporation. However, his inauguration was already littered with problems. Between ignoring the 17+8 protests, claiming they were only originating from people “unhappy with their own lives”, to allegations put out by his own son accusing the former minister of being a CIA spy [7], it seems to be an incredibly rocky start for the newly confirmed, and only time will tell if Prabowo made the right decision in appointing these new ministers.

While protests have slowed to a screeching halt, given the threats of violence from officials [8], the problems within the archipelago have still remained. The question remains, does the government plan on changing its public image and assisting the very people that trusted them to lead their nation, or will they continue to lose more and more credibility from people all over the world?

Sources:

Jakarta Globe. (2025). Indonesia’s spending slump threatens 5% growth target. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://jakartaglobe.id/business/indonesias-spending-slump-threatens-5-growth-target

Kompas. (2025, August 28). Mahfud dengar gaji anggota DPR capai miliaran per bulan, bukan Rp 230 juta. Kompas Nasional. Retrieved from https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2025/08/28/12495981/mahfud-dengar-gaji-anggota-dpr-capai-miliaran-per-bulan-bukan-rp-230-juta

Jakarta Globe. (2025). Jokowi’s brother-in-law removed as Constitutional Court Chief Justice. Retrieved from https://jakartaglobe.id/news/jokowis-brotherinlaw-removed-as-constitutional-court-chief-justice

Indonesia Demands. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://www.indonesiademands.com

Tempo. (2025). Diaspora di New York, Berlin, dan Melbourne gelar aksi dukung demo di tanah air. Tempo Internasional. Retrieved from https://www.tempo.co/internasional/diaspora-di-new-york-berlin-dan-melbourne-gelar-aksi-dukung-demo-di-tanah-air-2065850

Associated Press. (2025). Indonesia protests: ministers fired amid unrest. AP News. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-protests-ministers-fired-3776bd9365804cda9f7c3f85b2104502

Jakarta Globe. (2025). Finance minister downplays son’s claim labeling Sri Mulyani a CIA agent. Retrieved from https://jakartaglobe.id/news/finance-minister-downplays-sons-claim-labeling-sri-mulyani-a-cia-agent

International Workers’ World Site (WSWS). (2025, September 1). Political tensions deepen in Indonesia amid social unrest. Retrieved from https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/09/01/iwqv-s01.html