JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – On the 27th anniversary of Indonesia’s Reform era, Amnesty International Indonesia warns that the country is experiencing a serious erosion of human rights due to ongoing authoritarian policies that threaten civil liberties, political freedoms, and social justice.

Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said the country is veering away from the ideals of Reform, with authoritarian legal frameworks increasingly benefiting a select few. “When repressive laws and practices flourish, the state and civil society must act together to restore the mandate of human rights promised by Reform. The Constitutional Court’s latest decisions are one of the few remaining hopes,” Usman stated.

Several international indicators reflect the decline. Freedom House recorded a drop in Indonesia’s democracy score from 62 in 2019 to 57 in 2024. The 2025 World Press Freedom Index placed Indonesia at 127 out of 180 countries, while the Economist Intelligence Unit continues to label Indonesia a “flawed democracy.” V-Dem Institute even downgraded Indonesia from an electoral democracy to an electoral autocracy.

Amnesty points to this democratic regression as stemming from weakened rule of law and increasing attacks on civil and press freedoms. “Even the tragedies of May 1998, like the Trisakti shootings or mass rapes, remain unpunished. These are extraordinary violations that are now being erased through revisionist history,” said Usman.

Crackdowns on civil freedoms are evident in recent arrests and censorship. A student from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) faces up to 12 years in prison for a meme of the president. Artists and performers, including painter Yos Soeprapto and several theater and music groups, have faced suppression of their works.

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