Press Freedom at a Crossroads: Rights Groups Call for Reform as Indonesia Marks Two Years of the Prabowo Administration

JAKARTA, October 15, 2026 — As Indonesia approaches the second anniversary of the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the nation’s democratic health is under intense scrutiny. While the country has long been heralded as a pillar of democracy in Southeast Asia, two prominent international watchdogs—the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the global civil society alliance CIVICUS—have issued a stern ultimatum to the government: halt the systemic erosion of press freedom or risk deepening the country’s democratic backsliding.

In a joint statement issued this week, the organizations demanded that the Indonesian government move beyond rhetoric and take concrete, immediate action to protect journalists, end a culture of impunity, and foster an environment where independent journalism can thrive without the looming threat of state-sanctioned retaliation.

The Fragile State of the Fourth Estate

Since President Prabowo assumed office on October 20, 2024, the landscape for Indonesian media has become increasingly hostile. Despite the historical safeguards established by the 1999 Press Law—which birthed an independent Press Council and enshrined protections for reporters—the current administration has been marked by a return to authoritarian-adjacent tactics.

“President Prabowo’s administration should take this second anniversary as an opportunity to demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that journalists in Indonesia can report without fear of violence, intimidation, and legal retaliation,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific director. “Independent, critical journalism is not a threat to the state; it is a vital organ in the world’s third-largest democracy.”

The concern is not merely theoretical. It is rooted in a documented pattern of violence, censorship, and the weaponization of the legal system against those who hold power to account.

A Chronology of Suppression: 2024–2026

The following timeline illustrates the accelerating deterioration of the press environment under the current administration:

• October 2024: President Prabowo Subianto is inaugurated. Early administrative rhetoric signals a focus on national stability, often at the expense of critical discourse.
• June 2025: A series of investigative reports by Tempo magazine into high-level government corruption faces immediate pushback, including a high-profile lawsuit from the Agriculture Ministry.
• March & August 2025: Journalists covering anti-military and socio-economic protests are targeted by security forces. The incidents include physical assaults and the destruction of camera equipment.
• March 2025: An escalation in intimidation occurs when a severed pig’s head and dead rats are delivered to the Jakarta office of Tempo, a chilling warning meant to silence investigative reporting.
• June 2026: CPJ releases an investigative report on the murder of journalist Rico Pasaribu. The report highlights severe procedural failures in the investigation, specifically concerning the alleged involvement of military personnel.
• September 2025: Widespread protests against government policies result in further attacks on media personnel, signaling a systemic failure of police to protect members of the press during civil unrest.
• April 2026: A new wave of intimidation occurs during protests in East Kalimantan, further cementing a pattern of hostility toward frontline reporters.

The Shadow of Impunity: The Case of Rico Pasaribu

The most glaring indictment of the current government’s commitment to justice is the case of Rico Pasaribu. Murdered on June 27, 2024, Pasaribu had been actively investigating illegal gambling operations allegedly linked to Cpl. Herman Bukit.

CPJ’s 2026 report reveals that the investigation has been marred by a lack of transparency and a refusal to follow leads that point directly to state-linked actors. Since 1992, 14 journalists have been killed in Indonesia. Of the nine cases confirmed to be direct retaliation for journalistic work, eight remain unsolved or buried under bureaucratic inertia. This culture of impunity serves as a powerful deterrent, signaling to other journalists that the cost of truth-telling can be their lives.

“The targeting of journalists by the Prabowo government is inconsistent with Indonesia’s human rights obligations,” noted Josef Benedict, a researcher at CIVICUS. “The government must review and amend all laws used to criminalize journalists and ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to justice, regardless of their institutional affiliation.”

Weaponizing the Law: Legal and Regulatory Barriers

The Indonesian government has increasingly relied on "lawfare"—the use of legal systems to intimidate critics—to stifle dissent.

The Regulatory Chokehold

The administration has utilized the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law and the controversial 2022 Criminal Code to target journalists. These laws, often vague in their definitions of "defamation" or "public order," are frequently invoked to silence whistleblowers and investigative reporters.

Furthermore, the implementation of Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025 has created a severe barrier for international media. By requiring foreign journalists to obtain explicit police clearance before reporting—particularly in sensitive regions like Papua—the government is effectively placing a cordon sanitaire around areas where human rights violations are most frequent. This restriction prevents the global community from witnessing the reality of the Indonesian periphery.

Proposed Legislative Threats

The House of Representatives is currently debating amendments to the Broadcasting Law. If passed in its current form, the legislation would grant the state even broader powers to censor digital content. Critics argue that the proposed changes are designed to bypass the oversight of the independent Press Council, effectively consolidating control over the flow of information.

The Rhetoric of Exclusion: "Londo Ireng"

Perhaps most troubling to human rights observers is the President’s own rhetoric. President Prabowo has repeatedly labeled journalists and media outlets critical of his administration as “londo ireng” (black Dutchman)—a colonial-era slur used to describe collaborators.

By framing independent journalists as foreign agents or traitors, the administration is effectively delegitimizing their work and inviting the public to view them as enemies of the state. This rhetoric creates a “chilling effect,” where journalists practice self-censorship to avoid being the next target of state-sponsored vitriol or mob violence.

Implications for Indonesian Democracy

The systematic suppression of the press has profound implications for Indonesia’s future. When the press is neutralized, accountability disappears. Without the ability to report on corruption, environmental destruction, or human rights abuses, the social contract between the Indonesian state and its citizens begins to fray.

As Indonesia looks toward the future, the demands from CPJ and CIVICUS remain clear:

1. Immediate Investigation: Conduct transparent, independent investigations into all cases of violence against journalists, particularly those involving state officials.
2. Legislative Reform: Repeal or amend the ITE Law and the criminal code sections that facilitate the criminalization of journalism.
3. End Retaliatory Lawsuits: Cease the use of SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) by government ministries to intimidate media outlets.
4. Protect Foreign Access: Repeal the police clearance requirements for foreign journalists to ensure the free flow of information in conflict-affected regions.

The second anniversary of the Prabowo-Gibran administration should not be a celebration of power, but a moment of reflection. If the administration continues on its current path, it risks not only its international reputation but the very democratic foundations that were built at such high cost in 1998. The choice is the government’s: to embrace the scrutiny of a free press as a necessary component of a healthy state, or to retreat further into the shadows of authoritarianism.