Condemn the state violence of the Indonesian government against its people! Stand in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Indonesia!
Last July 29, people all over the world witnessed the unwavering collective strength of the Indonesian people as seen in massive protests erupting in different centers in the country. These protests are brought about by state neglect which have been plaguing the lives of many Indonesians for a long time already. Amidst mass layoffs, 250% rise in taxes, inflation, land grabbing, and forced migration, public officials are given leeway to feed their luxurious lifestyles. This was particularly reflected in the recent decision to increase allowances of parliamentarians up to USD 3,000 – an amount that is ten times the minimum wage in Jakarta alone.
This led to mass actions organized by the Indonesian people as they express dissent against increasing oppression of their own government. However, they were faced with police brutality which led to multiple injuries and deaths. One of which was Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year old online delivery rider who was killed by a police tactical armoured vehicle as he was caught in the middle of the protest in Jakarta while he was doing a delivery. During the actions that continued until September 2, 2025, ten people have already died, thousands were arrested directly from protest sites, and dozens were taken from their homes under accusations of orchestrating the demonstrations. This includes the detention of the director of Lokataru, a human rights and democracy advocacy organization in Jakarta, who was accused of inciting minors to take part in mass actions with violence. The Indonesian people have been continuing mass actions in the country to decry the killing of Affan and overall, to show their government that enough is enough.
Under such socioeconomic conditions, women are also heavily impacted. Budget cuts for social services shift the burden of care onto women, pushing them into informal work and forced migration just to be able to provide for their families. Rural women are also severely affected by land grabbing done by the government and large corporations. Despite these, government officials continue to fatten their pockets with excessive wealth obtained through dubious state policies and corruption, in cahoots with big private companies.
The International Women’s Alliance Asia Pacific is standing in solidarity with the Indonesian people in their clamor for social justice and transformation. We also demand justice for Affan Kurniawan and for all young people in Indonesia who are facing the brunt of ineffective neoliberal policies that only regard them as cheap commodities. We demand that the Indonesian government and its military and police apparatuses be held accountable for the violence that has occurred. All those who lost their lives and their families must receive justice. Those arbitrarily detained without clear evidence must be released immediately and freed from all forms of intimidation and terror that suppress the freedom to organize and to express opinions publicly in defense of their interests and the people of Indonesia.
No matter how the people’s movement in Indonesia is repressed, the people’s struggle will persist because the chronic crisis that continues to worsen in both urban and rural areas is due to the domination of imperialism over the semi-colonial and semi-feudal system in Indonesia, which perpetuate class disparity and chronic crisis in the country. The anti-imperialist struggle in Indonesia is part of the global anti-imperialist movement. In the current imperialist crisis, anti-imperialist movements such as in Indonesia will continue to burn, even when suppressed by arms.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Indonesia!