An official investigation conducted by six state-run human rights bodies has concluded there were extensive violations by security personnel during the anti-government demonstrations that swept Indonesia in August 2025.
The protests, driven by public anger over state spending policies, escalated into violent confrontations after the killing of a motorcycle taxi driver by police. The probe, which lasted four months, found that more than 5,000 people were detained during the unrest and that many of those arrested experienced mistreatment.
Findings of mistreatment
The report documents a pattern of physical abuse and coercive tactics used against detainees. Incidents cited include beatings, the use of electric shocks, and the application of chilli paste to the faces of some detainees to create a burning sensation. Investigators also reported intimidation with firearms during interrogations.
Eleven people died amid the riots, which saw some officials' homes and government buildings ransacked. The rights bodies described the events as the most severe outbreak of violence in Indonesia in two decades.
Allegations involving minors
The investigation found that some violent acts were directed at protesters under the age of 18. The child protection agency recorded allegations of sexual abuse against minor female protesters by law enforcers, though the agency representative, Sylvana Maria, did not provide numbers or further detail.
Officials from the National Human Rights Commission framed the overall findings starkly. "There are indications of widespread and massive human rights violations," Saurlin Siagian said, describing the scope of abuses uncovered by the four-month inquiry.
Siti Uswatun Hasanah of the Ombudsman's office described recurring practices of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture, inhumane treatment and intimidation of citizens and journalists, and reiterated the use of chilli paste as a method of causing pain and humiliation.
Calls for accountability and official response
The rights bodies urged President Prabowo Subianto to assess police handling of the protests and called on police authorities to carry out a proper investigation into the report's findings. The president's office and national police did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
To date, no senior officials have been publicly disciplined in connection with the probe's findings. The report notes that one low-level officer was dismissed from service after running over and killing a motorcyclist, and another officer was demoted.
Context and limitations
The investigating agencies' report lists numerous alleged abuses and urges further inquiry and accountability. Where allegations involve minors or sexual violence, the child protection agency provided limited detail and did not disclose specific counts. The rights bodies have asked law enforcement to pursue transparent investigations into the incidents they documented.