President Prabowo Approves Independent Probe into August Riots

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has agreed to a proposal to establish an independent investigation committee into the riots that broke out in several regions last August.

The plan was disclosed by former religious affairs minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who represented the National Conscience Movement (GNB), after the interfaith civil society group was received by Prabowo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday evening.

Saifuddin said the committee is needed to uncover the root causes of the unrest that followed public protests.

"We need to clear legitimate demonstrations of accusations that they directly triggered the riots last August. That is why this investigation is necessary," he stated, as quoted by Antara.

According to him, Prabowo welcomed the idea and said the Palace would determine the mechanism for the committee.

Saifuddin emphasized that freedom of expression, including through demonstrations, is a constitutional right. However, when peaceful rallies by students and activists in the morning later escalated into riots and violence in the evening, demonstrators were blamed for causing the unrest.

The GNB recorded that 10 people were killed in the incidents, which spread to regions outside Jakarta. Among them was delivery driver Affan Kurniawan, whose death after being run over by a police vehicle on August 28 sparked a new wave of protests in subsequent days.

Saifuddin underlined that the committee must be independent, with members who are professional and free from vested interests.

"We also expect this independent committee to be equipped with strong authority to carry out its functions effectively," he remarked.

Prabowo met with several national and religious figures during the Thursday evening discussion. Participants included former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid, Muslim scholar Quraish Shihab, Jakarta Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo, Buddhist monk Pannyavaro Mahathera, and Jesuit priest Franz Magnis-Suseno.