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View all search resultsYearender: Police reform met with doubt amid persistent brutality, impunity
Persisting cases of police brutality stem from weak oversight by the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as the police's external oversight body, the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), rights activists have said.
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A demonstrator holds a portrait of Affan Kurniawan, an ojol (online motorcycle transportation) driver who was run over by a police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) armored vehicle, during a protest on Aug. 30, 2025, in front of the East Java Police headquarters in Surabaya, East Java. Indonesia was rocked by protests in major cities on Aug. 29 after footage spread of Affan being run over by a police vehicle in a rally against low wages and financial perks for lawmakers. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
W
ith police brutality rising over the past year, 2025 marked a moment when the government launched an effort to reform the force, though skepticism remains over whether the move can bring meaningful change to the institution.
Police brutality has been in the spotlight throughout the year as more people took to the streets to protest decisions made by President Prabowo Subianto and his administration.
In March, for example, when people rallied to oppose the revision of the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law that is feared to pave a way for growing militarism, protesters and journalists in several cities were beaten and arrested by police officers.
Another protest in late August against lawmakers’ lavish allowances and economic inequality was also marred by various incidents of police brutality. Among those highlighted was the widely-documented killing of Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old ojol (online motorcycle transportation) driver, who was struck by a police armored vehicle during a protest in Jakarta on Aug. 28.
Protests against economic difficulties quickly escalated into a broader outcry and unrest against policy brutality, and led to riots in several cities for two weeks.
Ironically, police responded to growing public anger with force. An investigation by human rights group Amnesty International found multiple cases of violence allegedly committed by police officers, resulting in at least 1,036 victims across 19 cities and 4,194 arbitrary arrests.
