{"id":6673,"date":"2026-05-19T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/?p=6673"},"modified":"2026-05-20T14:38:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T07:38:52","slug":"indonesia-military-silences-dissent-with-disinformation-campaigns-branding-activists-and-journalists-foreign-agents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/news\/2026\/05\/indonesia-military-silences-dissent-with-disinformation-campaigns-branding-activists-and-journalists-foreign-agents\/","title":{"rendered":"Indonesia: Military silences dissent with disinformation campaigns branding activists and journalists \u2018foreign agents\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Military-connected social media accounts target activists with disinformation<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Online slurs precede intimidation and violent attacks against dissidents<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube allow harmful content to spread rapidly<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Coordinated disinformation campaigns portraying government critics as \u201cforeign agents\u201d are silencing dissent and fueling intimidation and violence under Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Amnesty International said in a new&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/ru\/documents\/asa21\/0931\/2026\/en\/\">report<\/a>&nbsp;published today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2018Building up Imaginary Enemies\u2019<\/em>&nbsp;reveals a growing pattern in which Indonesian authorities \u2013 including the military \u2013 deploy online disinformation to target journalists, activists, academics and protesters in retaliation for their legitimate activism and expression.&nbsp; Meanwhile, tech giants Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube have allowed harmful disinformation to remain online.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote is-lined\"><p>This disinformation is a political weapon, deployed to consolidate the government\u2019s power when public criticism intensifies, while demonizing and weakening those who dare to speak out.<\/p>\n<cite>Agn\u00e8s Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p>\u201cAuthoritarian practices have accelerated in Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s government. Amnesty\u2019s research shows that in the 18 months since Prabowo took power, online disinformation has emerged as a key tactic to systematically discredit government critics, shut down public debate and justify repression \u2013 all while social media companies sit back and let it happen,\u201d Amnesty International\u2019s Secretary General Agn\u00e8s Callamard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis disinformation is a political weapon, deployed to consolidate the government\u2019s power when public criticism intensifies, while demonizing and weakening those who dare to speak out. By branding protesters, journalists and human rights defenders as \u2018foreign agents\u2019, Indonesia\u2019s authorities and their supporters are deliberately shifting attention away from people\u2019s legitimate grievances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-intent-to-deceive\"><strong>Intent to deceive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since President Prabowo took office in October 2024, there have been multiple waves of demonstrations in Indonesia, including against corruption, budget cuts, environmental degradation and expanded powers handed to the military. Prabowo and senior officials have responded by repeatedly and publicly accusing critics of being paid, manipulated and controlled by foreign interests, and framing dissent as orchestrated rather than legitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has been followed by a proliferation of \u201cforeign agent\u201d slurs against civil society actors online, often based on unsubstantiated claims that they want to \u201cundermine\u201d or \u201cdivide\u201d Indonesia due to the fact they receive foreign funding or other support from overseas actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under international law, civil society organizations and media outlets have the right to access international funding, which is often essential for exercising the right to freedom of association.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amnesty International\u2019s research found that campaigns disseminating false \u201cforeign agent\u201d allegations against civil society have in most instances involved hundreds of accounts acting in sync to post identical videos, graphics or messages in quick succession. This false information is then amplified across Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. Amnesty was able to infer from the coordinated nature of the campaigns that these accounts were spreading falsehoods with the intention to deceive, a key element of disinformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The implications for those branded as \u201cforeign agents\u201d are severe, with victims telling Amnesty it undermined their work and credibility, increased their risk of criminalization and exposed them to physical harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-your-head-will-fall-to-the-ground\"><strong>\u2018Your head will fall to the ground\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital disinformation campaigns have frequently spilled over into physical violence. In March 2026, Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), was the victim of an acid attack in Jakarta, suffering severe chemical burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He had been targeted for months by coordinated online campaigns portraying him as a \u201cforeign agent\u201d after he helped lead peaceful protests against revisions to Indonesia\u2019s Military Law. Dozens of accounts presenting themselves as part of the Indonesian military, together with hundreds of anonymous accounts, took part in these campaigns across different social media platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>State investigations later led to the arrest of four military officers. Yet even after the acid attack and arrests, disinformation continued. Coordinated videos accused Yunus of staging the assault to attract foreign funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><div style=\"position:relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1.-Andrie-Yunus-Tiktok-1024x842.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"aiic-ignore wp-image-238628\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Original TikTok post that attacked and labeled Andrie Yunus as a foreign agent. The post was published on 5 April 2026. The caption reads: \u201cAndrie Yunus, a KontraS activist, DISGUISED as a democracy fighter, secretly receives funds from American Jews. Curious?? Watch this video until the end. #andrieyunus #kontras #foreignstooge #osf #soros\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Independent media outlets have also been heavily targeted. Tempo, one of Indonesia\u2019s most respected news organizations, faced sustained disinformation campaigns, including by Instagram accounts presenting themselves as military units, accusing it of being controlled by foreign donors after it reported critically on government policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Online smear campaigns were accompanied by chilling acts of intimidation, including a severed pig\u2019s head delivered to Tempo\u2019s newsroom and follow-up packages containing decapitated rats. Online disinformation then sought to portray the threats as staged stunts to garner foreign support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><div style=\"position:relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2.-Tempo-X-650x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"aiic-ignore wp-image-238627\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A set of tweets from different anonymous X accounts published within the same one-hour window on 17 May 2025, featuring an identical graphic depicting a large portrait of George Soros looming over the Tempo office building. The headline reads, \u201cThe irony of Tempo: Claims to have independence,\u201d followed by the subtext, \u201cBut Soros\u2019s agenda always enters the narrative.\u201d Although the accompanying captions vary slightly, they reproduce the same \u2018foreign agent\u2019 rhetoric.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenpeace Indonesia activist Iqbal Damanik was targeted after he led a peaceful protest against the government\u2019s mining activities in Raja Ampat, West Papua.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He told Amnesty: \u201cI received so many direct messages from anonymous users. I assume they are the ones who believe the disinformation out there about me. Some threatened to kill me. One of them said, \u2018Your head will fall to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><div style=\"position:relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3.-Iqbal-Damanik-X-289x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"aiic-ignore wp-image-238624\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tweet accusing Greenpeace campaigner Iqbal Damanik of being affiliated with armed groups in Papua published on 7 June 2025. The tweet shares several videos and images, including the photo of Iqbal leading a protest movement against nickel mining in Raja Ampat. The tweet reads: \u201cThe most dangerous thing is that armed criminal groups (KKB) and the OPM pretend to be Greenpeace activists and then call for independence, exploiting this issue. #SaveRajaAmpat. The government must take firm action against this propaganda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-climate-of-intimidation\"><strong>Climate of intimidation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The pervasive use of disinformation has created a climate of fear far beyond those directly targeted, discouraging people from participating in protests, collaborating with civil society organizations or expressing critical views online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one journalist told Amnesty: \u201cThis is dangerous for all of us. If we all become afraid of being labelled \u2018foreign agents\u2019 and stop reporting news or any stories critical of the government, then we are back to the authoritarian atmosphere of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amnesty\u2019s report found that Indonesia\u2019s domestic laws fail to protect those targeted with disinformation and are more likely to be used to prosecute and criminalize critics. A new proposed law on \u2018Countering Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda\u2019 risks deepening Indonesia\u2019s authoritarian trajectory by being used to further restrict the right to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cInstead of upholding fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, Indonesian authorities have failed at every level: state actors participate in the attacks, victims are denied protection and a climate of intimidation is allowed to take hold,\u201d Agn\u00e8s Callamard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Indonesian government must protect journalists, activists and protesters rather than enabling and disseminating toxic disinformation against them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-social-media-companies-responsibilities\"><strong>Social media companies\u2019 responsibilities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The report also finds that Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube\u2019s inadequate content moderation, engagement-driven algorithms and failure to address Indonesia\u2019s heightened human rights risks allowed disinformation to spread rapidly. Most of the posts documented remained online for months \u2013 some for more than a year \u2013 and many went viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBig Tech\u2019s failures have contributed to the human rights harms documented in this report, with falsehoods spreading faster than facts. Their platforms have played a significant role in enabling an environment in which disinformation, censorship and violence can thrive,\u201d Agn\u00e8s Callamard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amnesty International wrote to Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube twice: first to seek information during the research phase, and later to share its findings before publication. Only TikTok responded to Amnesty International\u2019s letters detailing our findings, pledging to \u201cset up additional monitoring for this specific issue\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDespite the increasingly hostile climate for human rights work and failures of the government and social media companies to counter disinformation, many of the activists we interviewed remain resilient. They continue to adapt, support one another and resist. However, the burden must not rest on them alone,\u201d Agn\u00e8s Callamard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAmid the heightened risks under President Prabowo\u2019s administration, Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube must stop disinformation, strengthen content moderation, conduct Indonesia-specific human rights due diligence and provide remedy to those harmed due to their failures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"grid grid-5 post-list\"><article class=\"grid-item aimc-ignore\" aria-label=\"Article: 31 Wins For Human Rights\" style=\"aiic:ignore;background-image: url('https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/309534-1468x710-1-640x400.jpg')\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"grid-content\"><span class=\"grid-itemMeta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/category\/blog\/\" tabindex=\"0\">Blog<\/a><\/span><h3 class=\"grid-itemTitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/blog\/2026\/07\/31-wins-for-human-rights\/\" tabindex=\"0\">31 wins for human rights<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><article class=\"grid-item aimc-ignore\" aria-label=\"Article: Cambodia: Evidence Suggests Scamming Compounds Bypassed Despite High-profile \u2018crackdown\u2019\" style=\"aiic:ignore;background-image: url('https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/May-20-2025-AmnestyInterational-Cambodia10-1468x710-1-640x400.jpg')\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"grid-content\"><span class=\"grid-itemMeta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/category\/news\/\" tabindex=\"0\">News<\/a><\/span><h3 class=\"grid-itemTitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/news\/2026\/06\/cambodia-evidence-suggests-scamming-compounds-bypassed-despite-high-profile-crackdown\/\" tabindex=\"0\">Cambodia: Evidence suggests scamming compounds bypassed despite high-profile \u2018crackdown\u2019<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><article class=\"grid-item aimc-ignore\" aria-label=\"Article: Hong Kong: Activists\u2019 Unjust Trial For Peaceful Tiananmen Commemoration Resumes\" style=\"aiic:ignore;background-image: url('https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/283598-1-1444x710-1-640x400.jpg')\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"grid-content\"><span class=\"grid-itemMeta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/category\/news\/\" tabindex=\"0\">News<\/a><\/span><h3 class=\"grid-itemTitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/news\/2026\/05\/hong-kong-activists-unjust-trial-for-peaceful-tiananmen-commemoration-resumes\/\" tabindex=\"0\">Hong Kong: Activists\u2019 unjust trial for peaceful Tiananmen commemoration resumes<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><article class=\"grid-item \" aria-label=\"Article: Death Penalty In 2025 &#8211; Facts And Figures\" style=\"aiic:ignore;background-image: url('https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/DP_2021_cover-1468x710-2-640x400.jpg')\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"grid-content\"><span class=\"grid-itemMeta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/category\/blog\/\" tabindex=\"0\">Blog<\/a><\/span><h3 class=\"grid-itemTitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/blog\/2026\/05\/death-penalty-in-2025-facts-and-figures\/\" tabindex=\"0\">Death penalty in 2025 &#8211; Facts and figures<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><article class=\"grid-item aimc-ignore\" aria-label=\"Article: Global: Executions Surge To Highest Recorded Figure In 44 Years\" style=\"aiic:ignore;background-image: url('https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/316185-640x400.jpg')\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"grid-content\"><span class=\"grid-itemMeta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/category\/news\/\" tabindex=\"0\">News<\/a><\/span><h3 class=\"grid-itemTitle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/news\/2026\/05\/global-executions-surge-to-highest-recorded-figure-in-44-years\/\" tabindex=\"0\">GLOBAL: Executions surge to highest recorded figure in 44 years<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coordinated disinformation campaigns portraying government critics as \u201cforeign agents\u201d are silencing dissent and fueling intimidation and violence under Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Amnesty International said in a new&nbsp;report&nbsp;published today. \u2018Building up Imaginary Enemies\u2019&nbsp;reveals a growing pattern in which Indonesian authorities \u2013 including the military \u2013 deploy online disinformation to target journalists, activists, academics and protesters [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":0,"_hero_title":"","_hero_content":"","_hero_cta_text":"","_hero_cta_link":"","_hero_alignment":"","_hero_background":"","_hero_size":"","_hero_show":"","_hero_type":"","_hero_embed":"","_hero_video_id":0,"_hero_hide_image_caption":true,"_hero_hide_image_copyright":false,"_nav_style":"","_disable_share_icons":false,"_disable_sidebar":false,"_display_author_info":false,"_hide_featured_image":false,"_hide_featured_image_caption":true,"_maximize_post_content":false,"_reduce_content_width":false,"_sidebar_id":0,"_stretch_thumbnail":false,"byline_context":"","byline_entity":"","byline_is_author":false,"disable_related_content":false,"download_id":0,"download_text":"","show_published_date":true,"show_updated_date":true,"term_slider":"","amnesty_index_number":"","recipients":"","recipients_refresh":"","recipients_refreshed":"","amnesty_umbraco_data":"","document_ref":"","amnesty_updated":"","footnotes":""},"category":[1585],"location":[1588],"resourceType":[],"topic":[1656],"class_list":["post-6673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","location-southeast-asia","topic-lgbti-rights"],"datePosted":"May 19, 2026","mlpRelationships":{"1":18581,"2":6673},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=6673"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=6673"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resourceType?post=6673"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=6673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}