Indonesia Spring, Maybe Asia Spring, Like Arab Spring
The bigger the picture you try to see, the more irrelevant each detail seems, and the more vulnerable you become to the biases that make that overwhelming picture easier to digest. Civil unrest in Jakarta, by Nepalese, is really inspiring and even successfully toppled down dictator. Nepal got a bigger prize than us in Indonesia.
The past few weeks have exposed an inconvenient truth about Indonesia: the country's political stability which many have taken for granted is, in fact, fragile. The truth is we are building a civilization on shifting tectonic plates, and sooner or later, they are bound to collide.
Wave of public protests that erupted across the archipelago in recent weeks is a jarring reminder of what happens when governments ignore festering discontent for too long. From Jakarta to Medan, Makassar to Malang, at least 38 cities across Indonesia, anger over economic hardship, tone-deaf policymaking and deepening inequality has spilled onto the streets. What began as frustration over lawmakers’ bloated housing allowances quickly evolved into a broader cry for justice, decency and state accountability, most recently embodied in the “pink and green” movement that compiled the 17+8 list of demands that went viral on social media.
But now that the hashtags have trended and some perks have been revoked, a question emerges: where do we go from here? For all its shortcomings, this moment offers a rare chance for democratic renewal – but only if the silent majority wakes up and if those in power act in good faith. That first condition demands much more than influencer posts or outrage in our social media timelines. The second requires that the government not mistake momentum for a nuisance.
[Shrinkhala “Phunu” Khatiwada, former Miss Nepal, Master of Urban Planning Harvard, never build anything in urban / rural areas of Nepal. Daugher of Nepalese apparatus. For South Asian standard, Shrinkhala extremely pretty, especially white skin. Around 65 percent South Asian is black / tanned skin]
[poverty in Nepal]
As appeared in social media, Prabowo just read a proposal so called 17+8 handed out by multiple editor-in-chief [especially, direct handed by Najwa Shihab]. Prabowo seems to underestimate the gravity of the problems he’s facing. He’s making policy like someone who just suffered a cardiac arrest but decides to drink Tolak Angin and get a coining massage, believing it’s just a common cold. Prabowo, the fact, ….. go abroad again last Wednesday to Qatar, and back again to Indonesia Thursday night.
The fact that so many local government buildings were torched and attacked because of stupid policies and remarks made in Jakarta should at least spark calls for deeper decentralization. politics is inception: so many layers to it that you can’t tell which one is real. One day you think you’re living reality, but you’re hallucinating. Another day you feel you’re hallucinating, but it’s reality.
The protests cannot be dismissed as isolated or fringe. They emerged from real anguish: skyrocketing food and fuel prices, wage stagnation, job insecurity and the widening gap between the powerful and the rest.
When citizens learned that legislators were receiving Rp 50 million (US$3,046) in new housing allowances while most people struggled to pay rent, the spark was lit. People hating on phrase “EAT THE RICH” don't realize that the rich won't help them or that they would never be them. What followed was a spontaneous public awakening; diffuse, imperfect and deeply human. It was Indonesian civil society at its most visceral.
Credit is due to the social media-savvy activists who channeled this discontent into the 17+8 Demands, a decentralized, broadly supported call for reform. Public intellectuals with deep online reach helped give form to the outrage, as one recent interview suggests. But influence should not be mistaken for leadership, nor virality for victory. Online mobilization may ignite public discourse, but it cannot replace the deep, patient work of organic movement-building. That task must still be attempted – on the ground, in communities and through broad civil society coalitions that push persistently for long-term change.
There is precedent for online sleuthing and viral justice playing a productive role. In recent years, public outcry on social media has led to real consequences: from the exposure of lavish lifestyles by tax officials or politicians and their families, to the National Police’s apology and internal action following the death of innocent bystander Affan Kurniawan last month.
If it’s true that a non-state actor exploited the unrest to launch violent attacks, burning government buildings and targeting senior officials, and intelligence failed to intercept or prevent them, then this is a massive intelligence failure.
But for every case that yields justice, others stall in silence. Until those in power face real accountability – including dismissals, prosecutions and structural reforms – trust will remain fragile.
Prabowo is fortunate that many believe Jokowi still meddles in government affairs. That perception creates distance between him and the state apparatus, without which the cannon of public anger would be aimed squarely at him.
This is where the government must decide what kind of democracy it wants to lead. President Prabowo Subianto has acknowledged the public’s right to protest peacefully, citing Indonesia’s commitment to civil and political freedoms. But his track record and his own words still breed skepticism. Just months ago, he called democracy tiring and “messy”, a telling remark that casts doubt on his commitment to open governance and the fruits of reform.
Now, with another cabinet reshuffle likely on the horizon, Prabowo has a critical opportunity to repair that credibility. He must remove officials who have eroded public trust, starting with those who allowed or encouraged police brutality – even if the military is found to be involved.
He must demonstrate that his administration values substance over symbolism; not just revoking perks, but reforming the culture of impunity that pervades political office. Above all, he must ensure the people’s demands are not brushed aside like so many attempts before the 17+8 list. But the burden does not lie with the President alone. Citizens, especially those newly awakened by this movement, must now do more than watch from the sidelines or hide behind hashtags.
This moment could be a turning point – a renewal of the reform movement spirit, 27 years on. Or it could fade into memory, another footnote in our collective history of missed opportunities. The choice, as always, is ours.
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If you feel powerless to help Gaza, you still has a choice: donate. When so much of what exists is false, authenticity is a powerful weapon we can wield that the state never could. So if you feel lost, hopeless, depressed, angry and afraid, I implore you to return - again and again - to the feeling of love that exists within you that brought you here in the first place. It is only through this that we can remake the world. To redress Gaza's famine, displacement, and destruction, independent and impartial humanitarian organizations - UN agencies, international and national NGOs - must be allowed to deliver relief at scale. To salvage Gaza's people from the devastation inflicted by Israel, it must be unified with the West Bank to form an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, not to be parceled and colonized by the former.
Please keep donate Gaza especially if you, as reader, has [background] International Relation [whatever universities]. IR Graduate means [you must, at least] get some semester [about] studying Middle East [in macro, not specifically Gaza].
We need more people to share fundraisers instead of only talking about Gaza. Some people think that those in Gaza don't need money but that's wrong. Almost everyone lost their source of income while essentials, food & medicine get sold for astronomical prices. So I put my attempt in all social media as I can, in twitter / X, in substack [since October 2023 I put link donation], in bluesky or bsky, in threads, in instagram.
Link to donate World Food Programme - Palestine appeal: click here
[Daniel Brühl]
Most campaign shared or circulated in social media are for REAL people in Gaza. They're legit. There are a lot of small campaigns for struggling families. This is their only lifeline. By donating & sharing, you are literally making history and alleviating part of their pain
Please do not rely on me alone for sharing your campaign. I'm only 1 person and sometimes I'm not online which is unreliable. I never ignore anybody on purpose but I have a very limited capacity & very little energy and time.
[Refaat Alareer IF I MUST DIE] Refaat Alareer was extremely hungry, November 2023, days before killed by Israel airstrike. If November 2023 already [one-by-one Gazan] extremely hungry, imagine August 2025.
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