Komnas HAM Calls for More Professional Policing of Protests
Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has urged the National Police to improve its handling of demonstrations, citing deaths, the involvement of children and suspected failures to protect vulnerable groups. Chairperson Anis Hidayah said the force had not demonstrated competence in managing rallies.
Deaths, child protection and complaints
Speaking at an online forum on police reform and public trust on October 22, 2026, Anis said the commission's findings included fatalities at demonstrations where vulnerable groups, particularly children, had been mobilized.
She also raised suspicions that police had failed to apply a Juvenile Justice System approach when dealing with vulnerable groups affected by the protests. As a result, she said, numerous victims faced criminalization by police. Anis urged the new National Police chief to review the findings.
The commission received 2,088 public complaints concerning unprofessional law enforcement from 2023 through mid-2026, according to Anis. Of those, 1,355 concerned police performance; the rest involved undue delays in handling legal cases.
Anis said the complaints described regulatory violations, violence, torture and departures from required procedures. "Around 65 percent are related to Polri's unprofessionalism in carrying out its law enforcement duties," she said, adding that torture and procedural failings remained recurring problems.
A new chief and earlier calls for reform
General Suyudi Ario Seto took office as National Police chief on October 1, 2026, succeeding General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, according to the Cabinet Secretariat. Commissioner General Wahyu Hadiningrat was sworn in as deputy chief at the same State Palace ceremony in Jakarta, under Presidential Decrees No. 96/POLRI and 97/POLRI of 2026. Suyudi, born July 14, 1973, had led the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) since August 25, 2025.
Calls to change police treatment of protesters preceded the leadership transition. In April 2026, Indonesia's national human rights institutions, collectively known as LNHAM, issued recommendations based on their monitoring of demonstrations and riots across 20 provinces in August and September 2025, ANTARA News reported.
The group comprises Komnas HAM, Komnas Perempuan, KPAI, KND, LPSK and the Ombudsman. It called on President Prabowo Subianto to assess the police response to protests and prevent further rights violations.
The institutions also urged police to fully investigate deaths and alleged torture, including the mobilization of children, and to bring police regulations into line with the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law and the Child Protection Law.
Security arrangements for the August protests
For a demonstration by residents of Pati, Central Java, at the Parliament Complex gate in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on August 26, 2026, police coordinated security with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Jakarta provincial government and internal security personnel, according to Jakarta Metro Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto.
Speaking at the DPR Building on Wednesday, Budi said AMPB and the Red and White Alliance were among at least two groups that had notified police of plans to demonstrate on Thursday. Antara quoted him as saying the current estimate was about 500 participants, with additional information still coming in.
Budi did not disclose how many personnel were deployed. He said officers would handle both rally security and traffic, and cautioned the public about online misinformation, slander, provocation and misleading claims.
A video showing soldiers assembled in North Jakarta's Kelapa Gading area before the major demonstration attracted widespread attention online. Asked about it by text message on August 26, 2026, Jakarta Military Command chief Lt. Gen. Deddy Suryadi said: "For the TNI, we remain on standby every day to assist Polri."
Arrests and a death during the August 27 unrest
The August 27, 2026 demonstration outside the DPR/MPR building in Jakarta initially sought passage of the Asset Seizure Bill, or RUU Perampasan Aset, according to BBC News Indonesia. Some participating groups also raised demands concerning the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP).
Jakarta Metro Police reported apprehending 322 people. In the police breakdown, 160 were described as children ages 12 to 19, while 162 were described as adults ages 18 to 40. Police subsequently named 49 suspects, including five children in conflict with the law, and said the other 273 people had been released.
Bambang Setiyawan, a 59-year-old resident, died after an alleged beating in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta, during the unrest.
Human rights audit due in December
Komnas HAM has also said it is conducting a human rights audit of the National Police centered on the right to justice. As Kompas.com reported on August 31, 2026, the review covers about 15 elements, from arrest procedures and access to information to restorative justice and safeguards for women, children and people with disabilities.
Under the announced schedule, data collection was to start in September 2026, followed by preparation of the report in October and November. The commission expected to release its findings publicly in December 2026.