The Coalition of West Kalimantan Activists for the Upholding of Democracy (AKBAR-DEMO) has issued a strong call to restore civilian supremacy, fulfill the reform mandate, and prevent the rise of military authoritarianism. The coalition’s statement comes amid ongoing waves of protests since August 25.
Facilitated by Hermawansyah and M. Hermayani Putera, the coalition argues that 27 years after Indonesia’s 1998 Reformasi, the dream of a democratic, clean, and people-oriented government is drifting further away.
In its official statement, the coalition denounces ten years under President Joko Widodo’s administration, describing it as a period of democratic erosion and institutional decay.
According to the coalition, the police and military have been weaponized as instruments of power, democracy has been diminished, and the Constitutional Court manipulated to pave the way for Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s vice-presidential candidacy in 2024.
Instead of reversing this decline, President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has, they argue, continued the same pattern. The people face economic hardship, while the elites celebrate in luxury. Corruption, collusion, and nepotism persist; agrarian injustice and human rights violations continue unabated.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives (DPR) focuses on increasing its own allowances, the security forces act repressively, and national leadership submits to oligarchic interests, failing to address crises in employment, health, education, and social welfare.
West Kalimantan reflects these national failures vividly: high stunting rates, low Human Development Index, and vast natural wealth concentrated in the hands of a few conglomerates. National Strategic Projects have seized forests, land, and people’s living spaces, leaving behind pockets of poverty amid abundance.
Civil Society’s Call from West Kalimantan
Based on this situation, the Coalition of West Kalimantan Activists for the Upholding of Democracy (AKBAR-DEMO) issued the following declaration, read by Ahmad Syukri of Link-AR Borneo at Rumah Gesit Gemawan, Pontianak, on Tuesday (September 2, 2025):
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We mourn the loss of civilian lives in demonstrations across the country. Every citizen’s life is invaluable. These tragedies are a stern reminder to the authorities: public protest must be guaranteed as a safe, humane, and dignified right. We support the moral actions of students and citizens throughout Indonesia, including in Pontianak, as a legitimate expression of democracy. Security forces must act dialogically and humanely, not repressively. Students, citizens, and officers are all part of one nation — they must embrace, not strike one another.
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We demand total reform of national and regional leadership, especially in West Kalimantan, to purge corruption and transactional politics. Democracy must be saved through serious anti-corruption efforts: strengthen the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General’s Office, and public oversight; resolve stalled corruption cases; and immediately pass the Asset Confiscation Bill (RUU Perampasan Aset). This republic belongs not to a few ruling families and dynasties, but to the people’s mandate!
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We urge President Prabowo Subianto to immediately reshuffle the cabinet, removing incapable ministers and deputy ministers, replacing them with professionals of integrity, free from corruption. The dual role of ministers as BUMN commissioners constitutes a conflict of interest that must be abolished!
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We condemn the House of Representatives (DPR RI) for prioritizing personal benefits over public welfare. Restore empathy — fulfill the legislative, budgetary, and oversight functions for the people. Cancel excessive allowances and privileges! Revise the MD3 Law (MPR, DPR, DPD, DPRD) to ensure transparency in work, budgets, and facilities.
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We call for the strengthening of the judiciary — judges must be professional, independent, and accountable. Court decisions should be transparent, monitored by the Judicial Commission, and open to public participation. The judicial budget must serve the people, not the elites.
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Comprehensive police reform is non-negotiable! End police violence against student protests, release detained students and legal aid activists, and stop attacks on university campuses. Dismiss National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo immediately! Amend the Police Law to empower independent oversight bodies (Kompolnas) and compel Parliament to exercise its supervisory role. Stop police involvement in criminal acts and restore the institution’s integrity as a civilian law enforcement body accountable to the people.
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We urge West Kalimantan’s DPR and DPD members to carry out genuine constituency accountability through transparent and inclusive public hearings. Prioritize human development: reduce stunting, improve education and healthcare access, create decent jobs, and empower MSMEs, Indigenous peoples, farmers, fishers, workers, the urban poor, women, youth, and persons with disabilities — in pursuit of social and ecological justice.
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We demand that national legislators from West Kalimantan push for fair and sustainable natural resource governance, including the immediate ratification of the Indigenous Peoples Bill (RUU Masyarakat Adat). End destructive mining and palm oil exploitation that devastate forests and people’s livelihoods. Return resource management to serve public welfare, and ensure basic infrastructure — food, clean water, energy, sanitation, and waste management — reaches rural, island, and border communities. Representatives from West Kalimantan must stand with the people, not bow to central government policies that harm the region!
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Looting and unrest in several protests are not mere acts of crime — they are alarms of social and economic emergency. The state must respond with policies rooted in social-ecological justice, not repression. In West Kalimantan, given its history of communal conflicts, the government must prioritize dialogue and social safety nets to prevent escalation. Injustice, if ignored, can ignite a greater wave of public anger.
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We call upon all elements of West Kalimantan civil society — students, youth, academics, religious and cultural leaders, the media, NGOs, and grassroots organizations — to unite against injustice, resist elite arrogance, and defend democratic spaces.
We believe Indonesia will only progress when democracy is upheld, social justice is realized, and people’s welfare becomes the nation’s priority. For an Indonesia — and a West Kalimantan — that is just, sustainable, and dignified. This is the path to fulfill the 1998 Reformasi mandate, uphold civilian supremacy, and prevent the nation from falling into a state of military emergency!
Source: AKBAR-DEMO Civil Society Coalition, West Kalimantan