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View all search resultsAnalysis: To be or not to be: The political implications of police reform
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Police officers line up to enter the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday, October 14, 2022. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo invited top brass from the National Police headquarters, regional police chiefs and district police chiefs from across the country to his office for directives. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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ust weeks after the largest wave of demonstrations against Prabowo Subianto’s presidency, the root of public anger remains unaddressed despite several government actions. While the controversial housing allowances for House of Representatives lawmakers were scrapped and arrogant politicians were suspended, the National Police, the institution responsible for the deaths of at least 11 individuals, including 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, has largely remained unscathed.
According to the Commission for Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), two people are still missing after the late August protests.
The public widely condemned the police's excessive use of force, which included tear gas, despite temporary ban, violent stomping and mass-detainment of peaceful protestors. Officers were seen deliberately targeting and intimidating medics and journalists, and student accommodations were reportedly searched at night during the height of the unrest.
Civil society groups are demanding greater accountability from the police and clear government actions to prevent future tragedies, viewing this brutality as the culmination of long-standing public frustration with an institution they believe has strayed from its role of protecting the people and normalized corrupt practices.
Following the brutal crackdown, calls for the resignation of Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo intensified, but President Prabowo Subianto instead entrusted him with greater authority to stabilize the situation, even with the use of more force if necessary. Pressure for Listyo’s ouster has persisted, fueled by his perceived loyalty to former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Prabowo's recent cabinet reshuffles, which have replaced some of Jokowi's allies in strategic positions.
Civil society believes that police reform must start at the top, echoing Listyo's own 2021 statement that "a fish rots from its head." Pressure for Prabowo to replace Listyo has mounted ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly next week, where certain groups may question his commitment to human rights protection.
While there has been no official announcement about replacing Listyo, President Prabowo has pledged to meet public demands for police reform. Earlier this month, he announced his intention to create a police reform task force and on Wednesday, appointed Ahmad Dofiri, a former deputy police chief under Listyo, as Presidential Advisor for Security, Public Order and Police Reform.
