Responding to the government's decision not to form a Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) related to a series of demonstrations that claimed at least eleven fatalities at the end of August, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, said:
"The news that the government will not form a TGPF shows that they do not have the courage to uncover the facts behind the demonstrations that led to riots in late August. The claims the government has thrown around about certain parties that incited the protests and riots, both corruptors and terrorists, as well as accusations of makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) are completely unfounded.
The claim that the president welcomed the formation of a fact-finding team (TPF) by six government human rights institutions was only a reason that was being searched for to justify the government's reluctance to reveal the parties responsible for the August 2025 tragedy. Even then the government appears afraid to accept the consequences that could follow from a TPF, given that in the past, the results of TPF investigations have had implications for the fall of senior Indonesian Military (TNI) officers.
An independent team is very important because institutions such as National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) often do not get adequate support from the government in carrying out their duties. This is evident in the reluctance of law enforcers such as the Attorney General's Office to follow up on Komnas HAM's findings.
We urged the president to immediately issue a presidential decree to form a TGPF so that it can fully investigate the August tragedy. This independent team needs to involve community leaders who have mutual integrity to assist the government in revealing exactly what happened in August. The independent team also needs to reveal to the public what the liability of the state is in this case.
The presence of the state in the TGPF is important to ensure the successful summoning of relevant officials, while civil society elements guarantee the independence of the investigation. Without this move, the promise to disclose the facts will just be empty rhetoric that ignores the rights of victims and their families."
Background
President Prabowo Subianto has decided that the government would not form a TGPF on the demonstrations that gave rise to casualties in late August. This was declared by Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Institutions (Kumham Imipas) Yusril Ihza Mahendra in a press release on Tuesday September 17.
Mahendra further revealed that the president welcomed the formation of the independent fact finding team by six state human rights institutions (LN-HAM) and has invited the team to work independently, transparently and objectively.
The six state human rights institutions are Komnas HAM, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the National Commission for the Protection of Children (Komnas-PA), the National Disabilities Commission (KND), the Ombudsman and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK).
Earlier, a media report said that the proposal for the formation of a fact finding team was expressed by figures who are members of the National Conscience Movement (GNB) during a meeting with President Prabowo at the State Palace in Jakarta on September 11.
Following the meeting, GNB representative Lukman Hakim Saifuddin revealed to the media that the president had approved the formation of the fact finding team.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Penolakan pembentukan TGPF Tragedi Agustus oleh Presiden bukti lemahnya keberanian politik negara".]
