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Hello reader,

You may have seen the brave pink, hero green, and resistance blue color combo all over your social media feeds. Together, they symbolically represent the best of us, and those taken too soon during the recent nationwide unrest.

Scroll down for a quick explainer on this bold new wave of digital activism. Plus, Prabowo’s gone to China after all, and TikTok live is live once again.

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics

• President Prabowo Subianto departed Jakarta yesterday evening for Beijing to attend China’s 80th Victory Day commemoration at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the trip had originally been scheduled for Aug. 31 but was delayed due to the nationwide unrest that began last week. Following renewed requests from Beijing, Prabowo agreed to participate in at least one day of the military parade and ceremonies. He was accompanied by a small delegation including Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. The president is expected to return to Indonesia this evening.

• The online motorcycle taxi association Garda Indonesia has threatened to stage a protest at the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Sunday, demanding concrete government action over the death of driver Affan Kurniawan. Chairman Raden Igun Wicaksono said authorities have ignored the group’s five demands, which include forming an independent fact-finding team, ensuring police transparency, prosecuting those responsible, and providing stronger safety guarantees for drivers. He warned that about 2,000 drivers in “green jackets” would surround the DPR building as major ride-hailing app representatives meet lawmakers that day. Igun stressed that protests would continue until the government responds to their demands.

• The University of Indonesia’s Student Executive Body (BEM UI) plans to stage a demonstration this week under the banner “17+8 People’s Demands,” highlighting a wide-ranging call for reforms. BEM UI chairman Atan Zayyid Sulthan said the protest would be held soon, though the date and turnout remain uncertain. The platform compiles grievances from civil society, labor groups, environmental advocates, and public figures, with several demands already gaining traction online, including a petition with over 40,000 signatures. The 17 urgent demands, to be addressed by Sept. 5, focus on accountability for recent cases of violence, curbing military and police overreach, halting perks for lawmakers, and ensuring economic protections for workers. The additional eight long-term reforms, targeted for 2026, include sweeping political, legal, and institutional changes such as party reform, asset recovery laws, and full military withdrawal from civilian affairs.

• Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and the General Elections Commission (KPU) are facing a civil lawsuit filed by a citizen named Subhan, who is demanding IDR 125 trillion in damages plus IDR 10 million to be paid to the state. The lawsuit, registered at the Central Jakarta District Court on Aug. 29 and set for its first hearing on Sept. 8, accuses Gibran and the KPU of violating legal requirements during his 2024 vice-presidential candidacy registration. Subhan is also asking the court to declare Gibran’s current status as vice president invalid and to impose a daily fine of IDR 100 million if the ruling is not enforced.

• Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has ordered all city agencies to revoke the work-from-home (WFH) policy, saying public activities and transportation have returned to normal following recent unrest. Pramono instructed officials to ensure civil servants resume office work immediately, while continuing to follow a separate rule requiring them to use public transport every Wednesday. The city is currently offering a IDR 1 fare on Transjakarta and MRT services until Sept. 8 to encourage ridership. The WFH policy had been introduced on Aug. 28 following large demonstrations in the capital but was limited to certain staff, with exceptions for frontline services.

Business/Economy

• TikTok restored its live-streaming feature in Indonesia yesterday, after suspending it on Aug. 30 over concerns it fueled violence during nationwide protests. By late afternoon, brands and individual sellers were again using the tool for e-commerce, though the company has not issued an official statement on the reopening. The Communications and Digital Minister, Meutya Hafid, previously confirmed the suspension was a voluntary move by TikTok to prevent misuse and maintain safety on the platform, a decision the government welcomed but hoped would be temporary. She acknowledged the closure had disrupted small businesses reliant on live sales but stressed that online trade could continue through other means.

• Bank Indonesia (BI) has stepped up burden-sharing with the Finance Ministry to ease fiscal pressures and make funding for grassroots economic programs more affordable. Under the scheme, both institutions split interest costs on government bonds (SBN), with BI purchasing around IDR 200 trillion worth from the secondary market as part of its expansionary monetary policy. Governor Perry Warjiyo said the arrangement reduces effective rates (for example, 2.9% for public housing and 2.15% for the Merah Putih Village Cooperative), helping channel funds into the government’s economic agenda. Since September 2024, BI has cut its policy rate five times by a total of 125 basis points, lowering 10-year bond yields from 7.26% in January to about 6.3%, further lightening fiscal costs. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani welcomed the cooperation, saying it balances BI’s independence with support for growth and social programs.

• The government has launched the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase for the US$20.9 billion Masela Block’s Abadi gas project in the Arafura Sea, a long-delayed national strategic project expected to start production by 2029. Managed by Japan’s INPEX (65%) alongside Pertamina (20%) and Petronas (15%), the project will include an onshore LNG facility with carbon capture technology, aiming to produce 9.5 million tons of LNG annually, plus pipeline gas and condensate. Deputy Energy Minister Yuliot Tanjung said Jakarta is expediting permits and procurement rules to keep development on schedule, with over 12,600 jobs projected during construction. The Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) expects FEED to finish within three months, paving the way for a final investment decision in early 2026.

• Indonesians still spend about 12.46% of their living costs on transportation, above the World Bank’s recommended 10% benchmark, according to the Transport Ministry. Director General of Multimodal Integration Risal Wasal said expanding fare and payment integration across public transit is key to reducing the burden while improving efficiency. Jakarta has already capped multimodal fares at IDR 10,000 for three-hour trips across Transjakarta, MRT, and LRT, with plans to extend the system to KAI Commuter and LRT Jabodebek. The initiative lays the groundwork for a broader Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform, allowing users to plan, book, and pay for multiple transport modes in one app. With Jabodetabek alone seeing over 75 million daily trips, Risal noted digital tap-in/tap-out systems will also provide crucial data for subsidies, capacity planning, and seamless connectivity. 

Everything Else

• A new wave of digital activism in Indonesia has gone viral as netizens adopt pink, green, and blue profile pictures on social media, each color carrying symbolic weight in recent protests. “Brave Pink” emerged from the image of a fearless lady in a pink hijab, dubbed Ibu Ana, who stood defiantly against riot police during Jakarta demonstrations on Thursday. “Hero Green” honors Affan Kurniawan, an online motorcycle taxi driver killed after being struck by a police vehicle, with his green jacket becoming a symbol of sacrifice and solidarity. “Resistance Blue,” first used in 2024 to protest controversial election law changes, has resurfaced as a marker of civic resistance amid mounting democratic concerns. Together, the colors have become powerful visual shorthand for justice, courage, and opposition to state repression, uniting both activists and ordinary citizens online.

• Miliano Jonathans has officially become an Indonesian citizen after taking the oath of nationality in Jakarta today, clearing the way for his potential debut with the national team once his federation switch from the Netherlands to Indonesia is finalized. Born in Arnhem, the Netherlands, in 2004 and eligible through his grandfather from Depok, West Java, the 21-year-old winger currently plays for FC Utrecht after previously coming through Vitesse’s youth system and featuring in the Europa League qualifiers. Standing at 178 cm, Miliano primarily operates as a right winger but can also play as an attacking midfielder, and he could make his first appearance for Indonesia in upcoming friendlies against Taiwan and Lebanon as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.