Recent demonstrations across several regions have escalated into violence, looting, and the burning of public buildings and facilities. These protests began as expressions of dissent by students and the public against government and parliamentary policies perceived as failing to represent the people’s interests. Public anger intensified following the death of online motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan, who was fatally struck by a tactical armored vehicle (Barakuda) on Aug. 28.
Dr. Achmad Munjid, Head of the Center for Security and Peace Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (PSKP UGM), explained that the violence and anger did not emerge spontaneously but were the culmination of long-standing public frustration rooted in persistent social inequality.
“If we observe what is happening, this is not a sudden event. It is the result of a long accumulation of issues, with socioeconomic inequality at its core,” Dr. Munjid said on Tuesday (Sep. 2).
He noted that Indonesia’s current economic conditions are difficult, marked by mass layoffs, sluggish business activity, and a strained state budget.
At the same time, government policies are perceived as being insensitive to these realities. The display of luxury and privilege by officials has widened the gap between the government and the people, while insensitive remarks from legislators have further aggravated the situation.
“People feel they are not represented, not defended, and not heard,” he emphasized.
The incident involving Affan, Dr. Munjid added, became the breaking point for collective anger and disappointment long harbored by the public.
Many online motorbike taxi drivers, he explained, take up the job because they cannot access better employment opportunities, often due to waves of layoffs. Their status as “partners” rather than employees leaves them vulnerable, without adequate labor protections or social security.
“Worse still, despite having no fixed working hours or days off, their jobs are not counted as unemployment. Their work is informal and does not grant them proper social security. That is why when the president said unemployment and poverty rates were declining, in reality, many of these jobs are not truly secure or sustainable,” he explained.
Security Control
Dr. Munjid stressed that current security measures are not easing public anger but instead intensifying it. He argued that enforcement against lawbreakers must go hand in hand with listening to public demands. Responding to anger with violence, he warned, would only provoke harsher reactions.
“Authorities must understand that suppressing violence with greater violence is not always effective,” he said.
He urged the government to listen to the aspirations voiced by the people and to address them structurally, whether through revising harmful policies, replacing arrogant officials, or halting programs that strain the national budget.
Dr. Munjid also called on religious leaders, academics, influential figures, and the media to actively participate in voicing public aspirations rather than merely urging restraint.
“People will be more willing to restrain themselves and heed calls for calm if leaders prove they are on the people’s side, listening to their voices, and relaying those aspirations to change problematic policies that must be addressed,” he explained.
Finally, he emphasized that while the roots of the unrest are economic, the solution must remain democratic. He observed that Indonesia’s democracy currently operates at only one-third of its ideal form, where public voices are often used merely for legitimacy while laws and regulations fail to reflect or protect the people’s interests.
“The problems of democracy must be resolved through democracy. We must not allow current events to take us further away from democratic principles. The use of violence and military force without listening to grassroots voices will only distance us from democracy,” he concluded.
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian