Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's state address at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Annual Session on August 15 has drawn harsh criticism from civil society activists. His narrative of stability and growth was deemed as merely rhetoric, while the facts on the ground show that the people are increasingly marginalised and the oligarchy is growing stronger.

Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) Executive Director Bhima Yudhistira believes that the 8 percent growth target set by the president is impossible to achieve with the extractive economic model of the New Order regime of former president Suharto.

More than 900 people have been indicted using the rubber (catchall) articles under the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law and the Criminal Code (KUHP) over the last eight years said Amnesty International Indonesia today in its reflection on 80 years of Indonesian independence.

From January 2018 to July 2025, Amnesty recorded that 903 civilians in 796 cases were indicted and criminalised under the hate sowing articles, defamation and makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Febriyan – Amnesty International Indonesia has recorded that 145 Papuan and Maluku activists were convicted for makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) between January 2019 and 2025.

Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid stated that the hundreds of people were convicted after peacefully voicing aspirations for independence.

Kiki Safitri, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – Human rights activist and the wife of renowned human rights defender Munir Said Talib, Suciwati, has emphasised that despite two decades passing, there has yet to be any certainty over Munir's assassination.

"This September it (the Munir case) will be 21 years old, yesterday I WA (WhatsApped) the Komnas HAM [National Human Rights Commission] chairperson who is currently handling the pro-judicial process", said Suciwati in Jakarta on Friday August 15.