Jihan Ristiyanti, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has questioned several parties over the riots of August 27, 2026, including officials from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs and the Jakarta Metropolitan Police.
"We received three representatives from the Communications Ministry. We discussed whether there were indications of internet restrictions and whether access to social media had been restricted," Komnas HAM Commissioner for Monitoring and Investigation Saurlin P. Siagian told reporters at the commission's office on Tuesday, October 13.
During the questioning, ministry officials acknowledged that they had restricted 486 pieces of content during the August riots. They told Komnas HAM that the restrictions were imposed because the content was suspected of violating criminal law.
"We are examining whether the content actually met the criteria for a legal violation that would justify the ministry taking it down," Saurlin said.
One of the videos removed by the ministry showed Bambang Setiawan, a mirror vendor who was beaten by an unidentified group along Pejompongan Raya Street in Jakarta. Bambang later died while being taken to Mintohardjo Hospital.
"That was one of the videos taken down because it was considered highly graphic. Several videos related to the death of BS went viral," Saurlin said.
The footage circulating online showed Bambang being stripped by a group of men dressed in black before they beat him.
The ministry's reported removal of the videos had previously been disputed by Fifi Aleyda Yahya, the ministry's director general of public communication and media.
On September 2, she denied that the footage had been taken down, saying it remained accessible online.
"Everyone can still watch the video. We all have phones and can record things. The footage is still there and can still be viewed," Fifi said in a press statement, as quoted by Kompas.com.