Ref.: 020/AII – PM Australia/II/2026
Jakarta, 3 February 2026
To the attn. of:
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Dear Prime Minister Albanese,
Amnesty International is writing to share our observations on the human rights situation in Indonesia ahead of your forthcoming visit to Jakarta in February 2026. We call on your government to ensure that accountability for security forces, an end to impunity for past human rights abuses, meaningful military reform, a human rights – based approach to disaster management, and the protection of civic space are placed at the forefront of the upcoming strategic partnership.
Throughout 2025, Amnesty International noted severe erosions of human rights, marking one of the most serious setbacks since the Reform era. This was starkly visible when police used excessive force during nationwide protests on 25 August and in the days that followed. Police officers beat protesters with batons, struck them while incapacitated, fired water cannons at close range, and deployed GLI-F4 tear gas, including in densely populated areas and enclosed spaces. At least 1,036 people were injured.
During this period, at least 4,194 arrests were recorded, of whom 959 protesters were later charged with "inciting violence," including 295 children. Despite repeated calls from civil society, the government failed to condemn the excessive use of force or establish an independent joint fact-finding team to investigate these abuses.
This climate of repression is unfolding alongside an expansion of military power. The 2025 revisions to the Indonesian National Armed Forces Law (UU TNI) significantly broadened the military's role beyond its core defense mandate, allowing involvement in agriculture, law enforcement support, and placements in civilian posts. This is especially concerning given the military's long record of alleged involvement in serious human rights abuses during Suharto's authoritarian regime.
These include the 1965 mass killings, the extrajudicial executions of the 1980s, the 1984 Tanjung Priok massacre, the 1989 Talangsari killings in Lampung, and the 1998 Trisakti and Semanggi shootings. Expanding military authority without accountability risks deepening impunity and sends a dangerous signal that serious abuses can remain beyond the reach of justice.
These concerns are further compounded in Papua, where Amnesty International has continued to document serious human rights violations linked to ongoing security operations. Throughout 2025, at least 34 Papuans became victims of arbitrary arrest, intimidation, and torture. One example is Abral Wandikbo, a civilian who was reportedly arrested and unlawfully killed by security forces. These violations undermine the rights to life and security and perpetuate cycles of fear and displacement.
The state's response to humanitarian crises was also inadequate. More than 1,100 people were killed, thousands injured, and at least 13,000 displaced, with entire communities left without access to food, clean water, healthcare, or safe shelter for weeks during floods and landslides in Sumatra at the end of November 2025. Yet the government did not declare a national disaster and rejected international humanitarian assistance.
At the same time, Amnesty International recorded unlawful acts by security forces during the disaster response. Journalists were harassed and questioned by military personnel, while reports of censorship and content removal further restricted public access to information.
On the night of 25 December 2025, joint military and police personnel reportedly used excessive force against volunteers delivering humanitarian aid in Aceh. Verified videos show civilians being kicked while lying on the ground and struck with rifle butts, resulting in head injuries. In the aftermath of the floods, climate activist Iqbal Damanik and social media influencers Ramond Donny Adam (DJ Donny), Sherly Annavita, and Virdian Aurellio experienced a disturbing pattern of intimidation.
Incidents included a chicken carcass and a written threat left at a home warning the recipient to "watch their words" if they wished to protect their family; a similar package followed by a Molotov cocktail attack on a residence; abusive and threatening messages sent to personal phone numbers and social media accounts; vandalism of a personal vehicle; and rotten eggs thrown at a residence accompanied by written threats.
As Australia deepens its security cooperation with Indonesia, it bears a responsibility to ensure that such cooperation does not contribute – directly or indirectly – to human rights violations or ongoing impunity among security forces. In light of these concerns, Amnesty International urges the Australian Government to:
- Ensure that any security cooperation is subject to rigorous human rights due diligence, including clear benchmarks, transparency, and accountability mechanisms;
- Encourage the Indonesian government to establish independent, impartial, and effective investigations into alleged abuses by the police and military;
- Emphasize the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, and the safeguarding of civic space as non-negotiable elements of any security partnership.
Thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Usman Hamid
Executive Director
Amnesty International Indonesia