Tag: Prabowo Subianto

US-Funded Riots Target Indonesia (or, NED is Alive and Well…) 

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)3 Comments

US-Funded Riots Target Indonesia (or, NED is Alive and Well…) 

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in May during the Singapore-based Shangri La Dialogue the US would focus more on the, “Indo-Pacific” region after years of distractions waging war and regime change elsewhere around the globe. 

Source: Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore (As Delivered) 

Since then, there has been a border war between Thailand and Cambodia precipitated by US-backed politicians on both sides of the border, and now violent “student protests” in Indonesia similar to US-sponsored riots in Hong Kong and Thailand in recent years. 

Known Western government funded (including US NED-funded) media organizations, “rights groups,” and others (like Remotivi, Project Multatuli and Jakarta Legal Aid) in Indonesia are openly backing the protests and attacking the current government. 

Sources: Project Multatuli admits on its site collaboration with Open Society and a variety of NED-adjacent funding tools used by the US for political interference worldwide: Collaborations

Remotivi and Project Multatuli are both mentioned as being disrupted by temporary NED funding freezes earlier this year: ‘Without us, no scrutiny’: Indonesia’s independent media count cost of US funding cuts

Their social media presence has spent the duration of the protests condemning the government and police and encouraging unrest. The same formula of violent protests forcing police responses, leading to injured or dead protesters, thus increasing the size and violence of the protests is in motion. The same US color revolution gimmicks – using colors, flags, pop culture symbols for protest branding are also being used. In Thailand it was the “Hunger Games” and “Harry Potter,” in Indonesia, the BBC boasts of “One Piece” pirate flags being flown. 

Source: How a cartoon skull became a symbol of defiance in Indonesia

The goal at best is to install a client regime willing to transform Indonesia into a Ukraine-style battering ram against China, and at a minimum, destabilize the nation and reduce its utility in both China’s and all of Asia’s rise.

Brian Berletic: Twitter

Previously:

Tensions soar across Indonesia as protests against police erupt in multiple cities

Thai-Cambodian Conflict Only Suits American Interests

Tensions soar across Indonesia as protests against police erupt in multiple cities

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

Tensions soar across Indonesia as protests against police erupt in multiple cities

The unrest came after a video on social media apparently showing the death of the motorcycle taxi driver during Thursday’s clashes shocked the nation and spurred an outcry against the security forces.

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Witnesses told local television that the armored car from the National Police’s Mobile Brigade unit suddenly sped through the crowd of demonstrators and hit Kurniawan, causing him to fall. Instead of stopping, the car ran over him.

Related:

Prabowo Criticizes Police as Protest Death Fuels Jakarta Unrest

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“Dark Indonesia” and Astroturfed Subversion + More

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

21-04-2025: Since February, Indonesia has been beset by protests largely led by students, so-called civil society organisations, some labour unions and K-pop fans. Protests emerged in many cities throughout the Indonesian archipelago including Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Solo, Semarang, Bali, Samarinda, Banjarmasin and South Sumatra. The protestors were reportedly delivering a “red report card” on the first 100 days of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. They also condemned Prabowo’s “Ndasmu!” remark towards critics of the Free Nutritious Meal program.[1] “Ndasmu” is an impolite Javanese word meaning “your head”, which perhaps implies that the protestors’ actions were the result of something that existed in their heads only. The slogan “Dark Indonesia” under which the protests took place, is a stab at Prabowo’s election slogan of “Golden Indonesia” (Indonesia Emas), which aims to advance the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) to a sovereign, prosperous nation by 2045, the centennial of its independence won in 1945.[2]

“Dark Indonesia” and Astroturfed Subversion

Related:

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China looks to Indonesia for diplomatic resolution after coastguards’ Natuna encounters + More

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

China looks to Indonesia for diplomatic resolution after coastguards’ Natuna encounters

Source

Related:

[10-23-2024] Indonesian Coast Guard “Drives Out” Chinese Vessel Shadowing Seismic Ship (archived)

On Monday, Indonesia’s coast guard “drove out” a China Coast Guard cutter that was shadowing a survey vessel in Indonesian waters of the South China Sea. On Tuesday, the Chinese vessel was back again in the same spot, according to maritime security expert Ray Powell.

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Geo Coral is a Norwegian-owned geophysical vessel flagged in Norway. She is operating under charter to PT Pertamina, Indonesia’s state-owned oil company, to conduct a 3D seismic survey off the Natuna Islands. “Pertamina East Natuna is focusing on oil and gas exploration activities in the East Natuna Working Area [East Natuna gas field], which has great potential to contribute to national energy security,” said a Pertamina spokesman on Tuesday. 

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Indonesia’s feared ex-general Prabowo claims victory in presidential election + Notes

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Indonesia’s feared ex-general Prabowo claims victory in presidential election

But the likely victory of Prabowo — an ex-general who was kicked out from the army and subjected to a two-decade ban from the U.S. over human rights violations — raises fears of the world’s third-largest democracy sliding backward into authoritarian rule.

Related:

3 things you should know about Indonesia’s presidential elections

Continuity and its risks


Prabowo is expected to largely continue the policies of President Widodo, or “Jokowi,” as Indonesians call him. President Widodo is not up for reelection as he’s serving his final term.

Through his two five-year terms, Indonesia’s economy — Southeast Asia’s largest — has grown at about 5% a year. His infrastructure building, cash and food assistance to the poor and health and education policies have been popular.

Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel, used in making electric vehicle batteries, and Jokowi has barred the export of raw nickel, to help Indonesia move up the value chain from mining to manufacturing.

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Prabowo is Suharto’s son-in-law. He received training in the 1980s from the U.S. military at Fort Benning, Ga. (now Fort Moore) and Fort Bragg, N.C. (now Fort Liberty).

Indonesia’s presidential election emerges as key battleground in US-China rivalry

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Why’s The New York Times Fearmongering About Indonesia’s Presidential Frontrunner?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Why’s The New York Times Fearmongering About Indonesia’s Presidential Frontrunner? By Andrew Korybko

It’s an information warfare provocation intended to manipulate voters’ perceptions of the frontrunner to the point that a run-off election is scheduled this summer, which could then give the US’ preferred candidate the chance that he needs to come to power and align Indonesia with America against China in the New Cold War.

Why’s The New York Times Fearmongering About Indonesia’s Presidential Frontrunner?

Anies Baswedan was a Fulbright Scholar. The Fulbright Program is funded by the USG.

As a Fulbright Scholar, he went to receive his M.P.M. in international security and economic policy from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy (where he was a William P. Cole III Fellow), and Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University, where he was a Gerald S. Maryanov Fellow.

Wikipedia

Indonesia trashes Pentagon’s ‘joint statement’ on China and Russia

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Jakarta stressed its “non-aligned” status and said it seeks good ties with all countries.

Indonesia trashes Pentagon’s ‘joint statement’ on China and Russia

Related (in English):

No joint statement with US on China’s South China Sea claims: Subianto

Defense Minister Prabowo And US Defense Minister Agree To Strengthen Relations Amid Various Strategic Issues

Chinese Embassy Spokesperson’s Remarks