Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government urges the public not to conclude that there have been cases of enforced disappearance during the late August protests. This comes in response to the failure to locate two individuals, Reno Syachputra Dewo and Muhammad Farhan Hamid, after the protests in Jakarta.
The Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance at the Ministry of Human Rights, Munafrizal Manan, said two other individuals previously reported missing, Eko Purnomo and Bima Permana Putra, had actually opted to leave in search of work.
"We cannot hastily declare or conclude this as an enforced disappearance," said Munafrizal to reporters at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The reports of the disappearance of Reno Syachputra Dewo, Muhammad Farhan Hamid, Eko Purnomo, and Bima Permana Putra were initially submitted to the post established by the Commission for Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS). The last known locations of Reno and Farhan were reported to be around Mako Brimob, Kwitang, Central Jakarta. Meanwhile, Eko Purnomo was last seen in Salemba and Bima in the Glodok area.
According to Munafrizal, the premature conclusion of enforced disappearances was widely circulated on social media. "We must wait for the two other individuals before knowing the actual situation," he said.
Munafrizal explained that an enforced disappearance requires someone or a party to coerce the disappearance of others. "In the case of the aforementioned two, it turns out it was by their own volition (to leave)," he added.
Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations of the Jakarta Metro Police, Brigadier General Ade Ary Syam Indradi, mentioned that they had been in talks with the parents of the two individuals still unaccounted for. "But they have not filed a report yet. We will make sure to inquire why they haven't filed a report," he said.
However, the Jakarta Metro Police continue their search. "We are following up on information obtained from the public, social media, and various sources," he added.