Hundreds rally at Indonesia’s Parliament in anti-corruption protest

JAKARTA – Hundreds of Indonesians gathered outside Parliament in Jakarta on Aug 27 to demand tougher action against corruption, including the seizure of corruptors’ assets and the death penalty for those convicted of graft.

The protest is led by the United Pati People’s Alliance (AMPB), a group from Pati regency in Central Java.

It rose to prominence in 2025 after the local government proposed raising land and building taxes by up to 250 per cent, prompting thousands of people to take to the streets and demand the removal of regent Sudewo. He was later arrested in a separate corruption case.

The group is pressing Parliament to pass the long-delayed Asset Forfeiture Bill, which has been under discussion in Indonesia for more than a decade.

The government formally submitted a draft to Parliament in May 2023, but lawmakers did not pass it before their term ended the following year. It has since been revived, with lawmakers saying they aim to pass it by December.

Banners hung along the gates of Parliament carried messages including “The people unite against corruption”, “Fight corruptors” and “AMPB for the people of Indonesia”.

About 500 people travelled from Pati for the demonstration, according to organisers, with supporters from other parts of Indonesia also joining them.

One protester, 65-year-old housewife Rosti’ah, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name, said she was angered by the widening gap between corrupt officials and ordinary Indonesians.

“Corruptors are getting richer while the people are getting poorer,” she told The Straits Times outside Parliament. “They should not be allowed to enjoy their ill-gotten gains with their families.”

Tensions had already been building before protesters arrived at Parliament.

Police asked state-controlled Bank Mandiri to temporarily suspend transactions on an account belonging to AMPB coordinator Supriyono, also known as Botok. The account held about 80.9 million rupiah (S$5,800), including public donations being used to pay for protesters’ food, transport and accommodation.

Civil society groups criticised the move, warning that cutting off access to the funds could interfere with the right to protest. Bank Mandiri restored access to the account on Aug 26 and apologised for the disruption.

Addressing the crowd on Aug 27, Supriyono thanked the motorcycle taxi drivers who helped take protesters to Parliament, saying the demonstration was about more than the grievances of people from Pati.

“This is not just Pati’s struggle, but the struggle of all Indonesians. Crush corruption,” he said.

Around mid-morning, Supriyono and other representatives were invited into Parliament for talks with Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and other lawmakers.

Supriyono pressed lawmakers for a firm deadline to pass the Asset Forfeiture Bill.

“If it is postponed again with one excuse after another, we will demand that all of you take responsibility for the consequences,” he said, adding that parliamentary leaders should be prepared to resign if the deadline is not met.

By midday, most AMPB members had left, but other groups of protesters remained or arrived with broader grievances over jobs, the cost of living and government spending.

Among them was motorcycle taxi driver Irfan Setiawan, 45, who turned up on his own. “I think corruptors should get the death penalty,” he said. “They are taking the people’s money.”

Students from the People’s Accountability Movement also joined the protest, calling for the Prabowo administration to face a “people’s tribunal” and for two flagship programmes – free nutritious meals, better known as MBG, and a nationwide network of village cooperatives to revitalise rural economies – to be halted.

“We think the government should spend more on education instead of wasting money on MBG, which has caused (some) people to suffer from food poisoning,” said Adelia, a 22-year-old student who goes by one name.

Police deployed more than 18,500 personnel at Parliament and other locations in Central Jakarta, according to local media.

The heightened security comes almost a year after a wave of demonstrations in August and September 2025 saw some protests descend into violence in Jakarta and several other cities