Indonesia’s protesters dismiss ‘belittling’ claims of CIA’s backing during unrest

Allegations of foreign interference in the recent protests could be used by Indonesian political elites to crush dissent, analysts say

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Protesters in Yogyakarta demand the resignation of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:30pm, 29 Aug 2024Updated: 5:37pm, 29 Aug 2024

Students and pro-democracy activists in Indonesia have dismissed allegations that recent nationwide protests against proposed changes to the election law were backed by the Central Intelligence Agency or other foreign agents, as observers warn such claims could be used to stifle future dissent.

On August 22, tens of thousands of students and other Indonesians took to the streets to reject a parliamentary move that undermined several rulings by the constitutional court on age eligibility and electoral thresholds for regional elections in November. Protests continued earlier this week in some cities such as Semarang and Makassar despite a decision by Indonesian lawmakers to cancel the passing of the controversial bill.

The scale and speed of the protests last week echoed the 1998 student-led demonstrations that triggered the resignation of dictator Suharto, analysts say. However, the protests have fuelled speculations about the trigger behind them.

Political elites in Jakarta have sought to temper tensions by calling for unity or ambiguously blaming the protests on foreign provocateurs. On Saturday, incoming President Prabowo Subianto claimed in a speech that the 1998 political conflict was caused by “incitement by foreign powers”. He did not directly link last week’s protests to any country or foreign entities.

“In 1998, we were on the verge of taking off, but we were [tricked] by foreign powers. If there is an Indonesian elite that [does not know] what happened in 1998, I suggest, please study again,” Prabowo said at an event organised by the Islam-based National Mandate Party. He ended the speech by calling for unity among the political elites.

Prabowo, a former son-in-law of Suharto, was discharged from the military over accusations that he played a role in the kidnapping pro-democracy activists involved in the 1998 protests.