Several incidents of unlawful police use of force involving less-lethal weapons occurred in Indonesia during 2024. Despite the Kanjuruhan football stadium tragedy of 2022, when the use of tear gas by police was found to be a major factor in triggering a stampede that led to the deaths of 135 people, the authorities have failed to put in place measures to ensure that any use of force, including in the context of peaceful protests, strictly complies with international human rights law and standards.
The 22-29 August 2024 #emergencywarning protests that took place in several cities illustrated how law enforcement officials once again responded to unarmed protesters in the most brutal manner possible.
During that period, thousands protested in Jakarta and other cities against proposed changes to regional election laws, fearing they could enable political dynasties and defy a Constitutional Court ruling on candidate age limits. Concerns grew over President Joko Widodo’s youngest son potentially running in the regional elections held in November. Students, activists, and civil society demanded the bill’s cancellation and adherence to the court’s judgment.
The protests were largely peaceful, though isolated and sporadic incidents occurred, such as on 22 August in Jakarta when the entrance gate to the parliament collapsed when some protesters attempted to enter the parliament building.
A number of media reports, verified by Amnesty International, have shown that police officers used both unnecessary and excessive force, especially when dispersing the protesters in the late afternoon.
Amnesty International verified 24 incidents of unjustified use of batons, unlawful assaults, improper use of water cannons and tear gas, arbitrary arrests, and incommunicado detentions in 14 cities during the eight days of protests. At least 344 people were arrested, 152 people suffered physical injuries, 17 people suffered from the effects of tear gas, at least one person was subject to short-term enforced disappearance while 65 suffered from multiple violence, including arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention.
“We monitored from time to time, but everything has stayed the same. The police reacted excessively and violently,” said Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director, Usman Hamid.
“We’ve tried to communicate our concerns to the authorities and have demanded accountability. The unlawful use of force must end now.”
“Indonesia should ensure that the police respect and protect citizens’ rights of peaceful assembly and expression. The unlawful use of force by the police against peaceful protests must be thoroughly and impartially investigated, and those responsible must be brought to justice. Failure to do so will perpetuate impunity and allow such violence to persist,” he added.
Amnesty International’s Evidence Lab verified 19 videos filmed during protests in nine cities (Jakarta, Semarang, Bandung, Banyumas, Pekanbaru, Palu, Banjarmasin, Purwokerto and Kediri) published between 22 and 26 August. Researchers also interviewed six victims* of the incidents. Besides traumatic mental effects, those who suffered from the use of force also bear scars and injuries. The videos show that police used excessive force to detain protesters who were already immobilized, at times striking them with batons overhead. Police also aimed water cannons directly at protesters’ bodies, at times at high-pressure mode and from a short distance and fired tear gas at crowded areas where protesters did not have a clear exit point.
The police responses to the protests clearly show that the police have betrayed their duty to protect people under both national and international law.
“It is our right as civil society to be critical of how the state authorities respond to the exercise of human rights. We’ve been loud because we see violations every year, yet no significant improvement has occurred,” Usman explained.
The right of peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Indonesian Constitution and international human rights law. However, the unlawful use of force, as documented in the video recordings and Amnesty International’s interviews with some victims, poses a serious threat to the protection and respect for human rights in Indonesia.
In these cases, security forces have used unlawful force using batons, punches, and kicks; disproportionate use of tear gas and water cannons; as well as arbitrary arrests and detentions without access to communication.
The use of force has a direct impact on the right to life, which is protected under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia ratified through Law No. 12 of 2005. The use of force is therefore subject to strict human rights safeguards as set out in the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials (1979) and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (1990).
The use of force by law enforcement officials in Indonesia is further regulated by the Indonesian Chief of Police Regulation on the Use of Force in Police Action (No. 1/2009) which requires adherence to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, general obligation, prevention, and reasonableness. However, the police regularly fail to uphold these principles, as demonstrated by the unlawful beating of protesters, the unnecessary and excessive use of both tear gas and water cannons, and the unjustified use of force during arrests.
“Demonstrations, protected under Article 28E(3) of the 1945 Constitution and the ICCPR, should not face violent suppression. Videos show police unnecessarily attacking unarmed and peaceful protesters without legitimate objective, including through use of tear gas and water cannons. These actions reflect an intent to suppress dissent rather than maintain order, disregarding both national laws and international human rights standards,” said Usman Hamid.
The unlawful use of force has caused physical and psychological trauma for the victims and exacerbated public distrust in police institutions.
“We urge state officials, particularly the President and the Chief of Police, to take responsibility for ending unlawful use of force by police. Officers involved in such actions, both in the field and at the command level, must be held accountable to stop the culture of impunity for these acts,” said Usman Hamid.
“The state must also instruct and train police officers on the protection and facilitation of peaceful protests in accordance with international human rights standards,” he added.
While Amnesty International acknowledges the complex environment law enforcement officials often find themselves in when carrying out their duty, they must ensure full respect for the right to life and security of all persons, including those suspected of crime.
Violence using batons and physical assault
Amnesty’s Evidence Lab verified one video posted on social media that was filmed in front of the West Java Provincial Council (DPRD) building, where a demonstration demanding the annulment of revisions to the Regional Election Law Bandung City took place on 22 August. The video showed an unarmed protester running and a man in civilian clothes tackling him to the ground. Three officers wearing riot control gear hit him with batons. Two officers in regular police uniform then sent the other officers away. The protester tried to escape, but the officers held him and one of them kicked him, even though the protester did not pose any threat to the officers or those around them. The video was originally posted on social media on 22 August 2024 but has since been removed.
In Indonesia, police often use batons during demonstrations, frequently employed arbitrarily against peaceful protesters.
Batons are generally considered less-lethal weapons, yet they can cause serious injuries if used improperly. The impact of baton strikes can range from minor injuries such as bruises to severe harm, including broken bones, concussions, organ damage, or even death.
Batons can be used lawfully in self-defence or defence of another person. However, in view of the harm and injury they can cause, police may only use batons in response to a person who engages in physical violence against a police officer or others, and they should never be used as a means of punishment (see Amnesty’s Use of Force: Guidelines for Implementation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, p. 152-153 and Amnesty International’s position paper on batons, p.12)
A female activist working for a legal and human rights advocacy organization in Bandung, identified as Dewi (not her real name), was also a witness and victim of police unlawful use of force that night. She was behind the DPRD building on the second day of protest, 23 August 2024, and witnessed people who were possibly protesters being beaten by the police.
Dewi shouted at officers hitting a victim with a baton, urging them to stop. However, she too became a target.
“Suddenly, another officer armed with a two-meter-long stick approached. I tried to show my ID, but my left head was struck before I could,” Dewi said.
She briefly lost consciousness but was rescued by volunteers and evacuated to a medical post at the Islamic University of Bandung. Dewi experienced vomiting and swelling on her head.
Although medical tests, including a CT scan, confirmed no internal bleeding, Dewi occasionally still experiences headaches. She had to rest for two months.
In the same city, a medical volunteer named Anya (not her real name) suffered injuries and had her clothes torn after being pushed by officers into a one-and-a-half-meter-deep ditch when the police dispersed the protest. “There were several people, more than ten, who kept shouting angrily while pushing me into a ditch after I shouted at them to stop hitting and kicking a medical volunteer,” she said.
Earlier, she witnessed her colleagues being beaten with batons and kicked by the police, both in uniform and plainclothes, who were driving the protesters back.
The videos also reveal that protesters were also subjected to other forms of physical violence, including being punched and kicked by police officers.
The two-day protests in Bandung resulted in numerous injuries and dozens of arrests. Amnesty International Indonesia recorded at least 25 people injured and seven detained during the protest near the West Java DPRD building on 22 August 2024. The following day, on 23 August 2024, 104 people were injured, and 16 were arrested.
In addition to Bandung, protesters in at least eight other cities also experienced similar incidents, including Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Jambi, Jakarta, Kediri, Banjarmasin, Palu, and Makassar (see the map).
Improper use of water cannon and tear gas
Amnesty’s Evidence Lab verified one video posted on social media that was filmed in front of Semarang City Hall, Central Java on 22 August. It shows a water cannon being used at close range at a dense crowd, at times aiming at head-level. This way of using water cannon goes against the police duty to minimize harm and injury and international human rights standards, as for instance formulated in the UN Guidelines on the use of less-lethal weapons. High-pressure water cannons can cause severe injuries, including fractures, brain injuries, and internal organ damage, if misused. The risks are especially high when aimed at sensitive areas like the head or chest or when fired at close range.
The Evidence Lab also verified a video filmed in front of Riau’s Parliament building, in Pekanbaru, and posted on social media on 24 August 2024. It showed a group of students, identifiable by their university jackets, being confronted by police armed with batons and shields. A water cannon jet was fired, almost hitting a group of protesters who were standing on their command vehicle amidst the crowd.
In addition to improper use of water cannon, we also found evidence of improper use of tear gas. This video also shows one officer firing from a handheld 37/38mm launcher using a lofted trajectory behind the crowd. Whether the launcher was loaded with a tear gas canister or any sort of kinetic impact projectile, this use would in any case be against international human rights standards. Given that tear gas will affect all people in the area, including bystanders and peaceful protesters, it should only be used in case of widespread violence against persons that cannot be controlled otherwise. There is no indication that there has been such serious and widespread violence during that protest.
Furthermore, the firing of tear gas behind crowds can lead to increased confrontation with law enforcement as people seek to escape tear gas in the direction of the police. The absence of a clear escape route, caused panic amongst the crowd. Moreover, kinetic impact projectiles should never be fired in a random direction, but only against an individual person engaged in serious violence against another person.
The Indonesian police also continue to use tear gas to disperse largely peaceful demonstrations. Tear gas should never be used to disperse a peaceful assembly nor should it be used if there are only isolated acts of violence. Rather, tear gas may only be used for the purpose of dispersing a crowd if the level of violence has reached such a high level that law enforcement officials cannot address the threat by directly targeting violent persons only. The firing of tear gas by the police against protesters also occurred in other cities. In Jakarta, a student named Jono (not his real name) claimed to have difficulty breathing and his eyes felt stinging after being exposed to tear gas when the police forcibly dispersed a demonstration in front of the DPR complex in the late afternoon on 22 August 2024 after the entrance gate collapsed when some protesters attempted to enter the compound. He lost consciousness when his friend took him to the hospital and only regained consciousness after receiving oxygen support.
Demonstrators in at least four cities—Bandung, Banyumas, Purwokerto, and Palu—were also targeted with tear gas and water cannons by the police (see the map).
Arbitrary Arrest
Amnesty International identified cases of arbitrary arrests during the wave of protests, which highlights serious issues in respecting citizens’ constitutional rights.
Protests are a form of expression guaranteed by the Indonesian Constitution of 1945. However, in practice, protesters are arrested by security forces without transparent procedures and are often subjected to physical violence and psychological intimidation.
Ahmad (not his real name), a public lawyer in Banda Aceh participated in a mass demonstration against the revision of the Local Election Law in front of the Aceh People’s Representative Council Building (DPRA) in the city on 23 August 2024.
He was arbitrarily arrested and accused of being a provocateur for reprimanding police officers who were beating a student while dispersing protesters near the DPRA building.
Ahmad was then repeatedly beaten and kicked before being taken to the Banda Aceh Police Station (Polresta). He was released that same night after the police discovered his identity as a public lawyer working for a legal aid institution in Banda Aceh. The police did not apologize nor provided a satisfactory explanation for his arrest.
There were reported arbitrary arrests in at least five other cities, such as Jakarta, Semarang, Mataram, Banjarmasin, and Makassar.
Incommunicado Detention
Incommunicado detention refers to the practice where a detainee is not allowed to communicate with the outside world, including family, lawyers, or other parties.
This practice often occurs in the context of peaceful protests in Indonesia, especially targeting activists accused of being provocateurs.
Incommunicado detention differs from ordinary detention as it not only restricts physical freedom but also violates the right to legal assistance and (if prolonged), is itself a form of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
This form of detention isolates the victim from the outside world, often leaving families and legal counsel unaware of their whereabouts.
Amnesty interviewed Rama (not his real name), a human rights activist in Jakarta who became a victim of violence and incommunicado detention during a protest against revisions to the Regional Head Election Law at the DPR (House of Representatives) complex on the afternoon of 22 August 2024. The protest was largely peaceful until the entrance gate to the parliament building complex which heavily guarded by the police collapsed as some protesters attempted to enter.
At that time, Rama and his friend were trying to escape when the police dispersed the crowd of protesters and began hitting people after the gate collapsed. However, both were subjected to physical and verbal attacks by police.
“I was repeatedly punched in the face and head. My chest was kicked. My nose was broken, making it difficult to breathe. I was also insulted with harsh words by the officers,” he said.
Despite his severe injuries and difficulty breathing due to his broken nose, Rama did not receive immediate first aid on site. Instead, he was detained that afternoon and taken to the Jakarta Police Headquarters (Polda Metro Jaya).
At the police headquarters, Rama revealed that he was not immediately offered legal assistance or the opportunity to contact his family. For nearly six hours, he was unable to communicate with anyone outside.
Since being taken to the police headquarters at 5pm the police did not offer him a telephone call to his family or contact legal assistance services. He was only able to meet with colleagues from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) later that evening around 11pm. He spotted his colleagues searching for him and called them for legal help after returning to the police investigation room from the clinic in the police station. Rama also stated that he was not immediately released. He was detained for 30 hours. “I was arrested around 4pm and was only released the following evening at 10pm,” he said.
Anto (not his real name), a student in Banda Aceh, also experienced incommunicado detention during a protest against police violence in front of the Aceh Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRA) building on 29 August 2024.
He was detained for three days at the Banda Aceh Police headquarters (Polresta). Additionally, Anto and five other students were charged with hate speech for carrying a banner that read, “Police are killers.”
The police reportedly accused those students of violating articles 156 and 157 of the Indonesian Criminal Code on hate speech, but these charges are overreaching. Article 156 targets hate speech against race, ethnicity, or religion, while Article 157 addresses hatred toward societal groups. In this case the police do not fit these categories.
A team from the Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute attempted to meet Anto and his peers shortly after their detention to provide legal assistance. However, the police did not allow them to meet the detainees.
They were only permitted to meet the following day. “We were offered [by the police] to contact legal counsel only a day after spending a night [in detention],” Anto told Amnesty.- END
*All names have been changed to protect identities