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View all search resultsPrabowo’s state address sidesteps rights concerns
Activists have lamented the absence of human rights issues in President Prabowo Subianto’s first state address ahead of the country’s Independence day weekend, with some pointing to ongoing civil repression and the criminalization of dissent.
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President Prabowo Subianto (center, wearing white) greets ceremony attendants in the middle of a cultural performance after the flag-hoisting ceremony on Aug. 17 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Independence Day at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
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ctivists have lamented the absence of human rights issues in President Prabowo Subianto’s first state address ahead of the country’s Independence day weekend, with some pointing to ongoing civil repression and the criminalization of dissent.
Rights groups noted that Prabowo made no reference to freedom of expression or rights protection, a silence that Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) chair Mohamad Isnur described as “worrying.”
“He is pushing growth with a militaristic, top-down approach rooted in security forces, while at the same time failing to guarantee freedom of expression, opinion and human rights protection,” Isnur said in a video posted on YLBHI’s YouTube channel on Tuesday.
“This reflects a totalitarian idea. Perhaps he intends it to appear socialist, but beneath the surface is the will to impose a command structure backed by armed forces.”
In his Friday’s State of the Nation Address, President Prabowo emphasized that he is open to criticism, asking the public not to stop scrutinizing his administration, which he said requires corrections and oversight.
Read also: Prabowo vows to protect national wealth in first state address
However, Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid said this stood in sharp contrast to reality. “In fact, many civilians have become victims of criminalization for speaking up critically”.
