President Joko Widodo’s recent statement on the freedom of speech has generated controversy. At an Indonesia Ombudsman event on Feb. 8 to launch its 2020 Annual Report, the President called on the public to be more vocally active in their criticisms and advice on maladministration to help improve public service. His statement was met with skepticism, however, as criticizing the government under the Jokowi regime sounds very scary. A number of government critics have been arrested and imprisoned by the police in the last few years. In March 2020, the police arrested Hisbun Bayu, a student at Muhammadiyah University-Surakarta, over his Instagram post that the police alleged had insulted the President. In the post, Hisbun called the President “a curse” for his investment policy that did not side with the people. In September 2019, the police detained Dandhy Laksono, ...