By 
23-04-2026 | Dominik Miklósi | Asia Researcher, Global Human Rights Defence.
Following the September 2025 anti-regime protests that unfolded on the streets of Jakarta and resulted in substantial losses, state-operated human rights organisations identified a wide range of rights infringements committed by the country’s authorities. The six human rights bodies that conducted the investigation leading to the findings included the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on Violence Against Women, Indonesia’s Ombudsman, Witness and Victim Protection Agency, Indonesian Commission for Child Protection, and the National Commission for Disability. According to them, the security forces of Indonesia, among others, were responsible for acts of sexual violence against children amid the protests. Sylvana Maria, who took part in the investigation, did not specify the circumstances of the acts or the number of children subjected to such violence. Nevertheless, the report highlighted that females under the age of 18 fell victim to sexual abuse.
Furthermore, the investigation also concluded that other vulnerable groups, other than children, such as women and persons with disabilities, allegedly sustained multiple violations of their basic human rights. This included different forms of gender-based violence (e.g., sexual abuse) and legal safeguards falling short of standards. In terms of females who were arrested and detained, it was reported that the authorities, in some cases, forced them to strip during body searches. Additionally, based on the recent publication of The Online Citizen concerning the human rights bodies’ report: “at least two women experienced sexual violence, while nine women in conflict with the law were subjected to layered physical and psychological abuse throughout legal proceedings”.
The alleged acts committed by the Indonesian security forces are in disregard of numerous fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom from torture, the right to security, and several protections specifically concerning women and children. The situation must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and those accountable for the above-mentioned violations must be held liable urgently.
