Yudono Yanuar, Jakarta – Jakarta Metro Police has designated 56 members of mass organizations (ormas) as suspects who were caught in the Operation to Eradicate Jaya in 2025 from May 9-23.
"In this operation, we also designated 56 people as thugs who were under the guise of mass organizations," said the Head of the Operations Bureau of the Jakarta Metro Police, Police Grand Commissioner I Ketut Gede Wijatmika, during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, May 26, 2025.
Wijatmika explained that the 56 people were members of Pemuda Pancasila (PP) mass organization totaling 31 people, FBR (10), and Trinusa (11). Then, BPPKB, GMBI, GRIB Jaya, and GIBAS had one person each.
"We arrested approximately 3,599 people involved in thuggery cases and from that number, 348 people became suspects," he said as quoted by Antara.
Last weekend, the Jakarta Metro Police arrested tens of GRIB Jaya members who seized BMKG land in South Tangerang, and previously arrested dozens of PP members for harassing the RSUD Tangsel parking attendants.
In this operation, the Police detained the Chairman of the GRIB Jaya Tangsel and designated the Chairman of the PP Tangsel as a fugitive.
This is not the first legal case suspected to involve members of mass organizations. Previously in Barito Selatan, GRIB Jaya Central Kalimantan sealed a rubber factory on April 26, 2025, due to debt problems. The sealing led to the designation of the Chairman of GRIB Jaya Central Kalimantan as a suspect by the police.
In Bekasi, two social organization leaders became suspects for taking over 3 shops owned by a resident who purchased them from someone with proof of ownership certificates.
The large number of mass organization members suspected of being involved in thuggery has angered many people. Even the Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, asked the government to disband social organizations that disrupt public order and disturb the community.
"We ask the government to take firm action against mass organizations that disturb public order, especially those that then appear to have thuggery tendencies," said Puan in Jakarta on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
"If it appears to have thuggery tendencies, then immediately disband it. Don't let the state lose to thuggery actions," she asserted.
Wijatmika also said that this operation targeted thugs in various forms.
"Thuggery carried out by individuals, thuggery under the guise of mass organizations, thuggery under the guise of debt collectors, and motorcycle gangs that lead to brawls," he said.
Disbandment of FPI
The government has disbanded the Islamic Defenders Front organization (FPI) led by Rizieq Shihab, which vocally opposed President Joko Widodo's administration. This organization was banned from conducting activities as announced by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud Md on December 30, 2020.
The government and security forces received sharp criticism for the disbanded FPI, which then changed its name to the Islamic Brotherhood Front while retaining the abbreviation FPI.
The government is considered to erode civil liberties. "This decision has the potential to discriminate and violate the rights to associate and express, thus further eroding civil liberties in Indonesia," said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia.
KontraS sees the government's decision as contrary to the principles of the rule of law. "Especially regarding the freedom to assemble and associate," as stated in an official statement.
At that time, the government's reason was that the FPI had been de jure dissolved as a social organization since June 21, 2019, for not renewing the Explanatory Statement (SKT) that had expired, in accordance with the provisions of the social organization law.
Legal basis
The issue of chaos is regulated in the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perpu) number 2 of 2017 concerning Social Organizations. On October 24, 2017, the House of Representatives accepted this Perpu, so it became Law Number 16/2017 concerning the Determination of the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2017 concerning Amendments to Law Number 17 of 2013 concerning Social Organizations into Law.
This new Mass Organization Law significantly streamlines the legal procedures for banning or disbanding social organizations. This is done by removing the warning and judicial review mechanisms. "This law is problematic and needs to be changed," said Usman Hamid.
The disbandment of mass organizations is regulated in Articles 60 and 61. Article 60 states that social organizations that violate the provisions referred to in Articles 21, 51, and 59 paragraphs (1) and (2) are subject to administrative sanctions.
Article 61 states that: The administrative sanctions referred to in Article 60 paragraph (1) consist of: 1. written warnings; 2. cessation of activities; and/or, 3 revocation of the registration certificate or revocation of legal entity status.
Article 21: Social organizations are obligated to: a. carry out activities in accordance with the organization's objectives; b. maintain national unity and the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia; c. maintain religious, cultural, moral, ethical, and ethical values and norms as well as provide benefits to society; d. maintain public order and peace in the community; e. manage finances transparently and accountably; and f. participate in achieving national goals.
For mass organizations deemed causing unrest, it is regulated in Article 59.
Article 59 states that mass organizations are prohibited from: committing acts of violence, disrupting public order and peace, or damaging public facilities and social facilities; and/or carrying out activities that are the duties and authorities of law enforcement officers in accordance with the provisions of the statutory regulations.
Activities such as seizing land/property or sealing companies are considered to violate Article 59 and may result in the revocation of the SKT.
Criticism of the Mass Organization Law
Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, stated that according to international law, an organization can only be banned or disbanded after a decision by an independent and neutral court. "Independent and neutral," he said as quoted by Tempo, January 1, 2021.
Constitutional Law expert from Andalas University, Feri Amsari, also criticized the Social Organization Law, which he considered problematic from the start.
"The law eliminates the mechanism for disbanding social organizations through the judiciary as stipulated in the old Mass Organization Law. The new Mass Organization Law formed from President Jokowi's Perpu is problematic," said Feri in an interview with Tempo, Wednesday, December 30, 2020.
The Mass Organization Law, according to Feri, also contradicts the spirit of reform that protects the freedom of association, assembly, and expression. "The disbandment of mass organizations like this is typical of the New Order. President Gus Dur vigorously opposed methods of disbanding mass organizations like this," he said.
– Fajar Pebrianto contributed to the writing of this article.