The general public’s enthusiasm for independence day celebrations have been dropping since 2024. At the same time the masses are becoming increasingly emboldened to take anti establishment stances.
Editor – Southeast Asia Analyst
Indonesian President Prabowo, members of his administration and its supporters celebrated the republic’s 81st birthday on Monday 17 August 2026. The event that involved military marches, musical and dance performances took place in the presidential palace in Central Jakarta. While Prabowo and his inner circle enjoyed the vibrant festivities, the public watched on with disdain.
In fact, only 2 days before leading up to the independence day celebration, Flores island was struck with a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that killed 71 people, injured and displaced over thousands of residents and destroyed nearly 1200 homes. The public’s anger was most visible on social media’s comment sections. Most attacked the administration for their tone deafness in arranging such grandiose celebrations despite the people of Flores suffering losing loved ones and massive collateral damage.
In particular, a skydiving stunt where special forces members unfolded Prabowo’s portrait in the air as part of the independence day celebration attracted scorn from social media commentators with netizens criticizing the action.
Screen shot from Prabowo Subianto’s youtube.
“It’s enough to just raise the red and white flag, no need to have portraits of people… This is Indonesia’s Independence Day, not a birthday party” said one user in the comment section.
“I wish this was AI… But reality hits different” poked another user.
A stunt of this intricacy and self absorbedness have never been conducted before in Indonesian history and celebrating a specific person on independence day is an extremely rare sighting even within Southeast Asia, resulting in such widespread condemnation from public with many jokingly calling Prabowo the “NPD Final Boss”
Disillusionment from the public spilled far beyond social media comments with graffiti with anti establishment sentiments being spotted in various parts of Jakarta. One in particular caught Southeast Asia Analyst’s attention. The scribble read; “16k IDR for Diesel, 17 August Independence, 18k IDR per USD and 19 million Jobs” mocking the current disappointing reality of Indonesia’s economy.
Graffiti found in Jakarta. Source : Photographer/ Qadri Ramadahan
On the same day as the Disaster in Flores, the residents in Banda Aceh made their discontent with the current establishment clear. Achenese in the hundreds took the Raya Baiturrahman Mosque square, waving the crescent and star flag and hanging them from the Mosque’s rooftop. While the flag today serves as Aceh’s provincial coat of arms, it was also the symbol of Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh Movement), an armed separatist movement that lasted from the 70s until a peace deal was struck in 15th August 2005 with the Indonesian government.
Youth with an Aceh provincial flag in Raya Baiturrahman mosque. Source : X.com/ @aceh
Some members of the mass that gathered around the Mosque took it upon themselves to climb the flagpost on the square and remove the Indonesian national flag and replaced it with the Aceh flag which resulted in a crackdown from military personnel. Videos of a banner that read “Acheh has every right to be Independent” hanging from Mosque balcony and crowds trampling on Indonesia national symbol; Garuda surfaced as well.
Acehnese people waving their provincial flag and harbouring separatist sentiments have been building up since last December after the province received inadequate disaster relief aid from the central government.
Anger over the state of the country peaked and boiled over into student protest on 18th August under the theme #merebutmerdeka (#grabindepdence), only a day after the independence country. Despite the participating parties submitting a notice on their plan to stage a protest in Bundaran HI (International Hotel Roundabout), police personnel yet again prevented them from entering the area with the argument that the protest will obstruct traffic movement.
Student protestors from Universitas Indonesia. Source : X.com/ @RA_leather
“The mistakes of those in power right now will have to be handled by today’s youth in future. 17th August is supposed to celebrate independence, but independence for who?” Said student protestor Cho Yonggi from Universitas Indonesia when questioned by Southeast Analyst
“True Independence will certainly be celebrated when the corrupt faces justice, the parliament voices the people’s concerns and no one goes to sleep hungry.” said D, another student protest from Universitas Indonesia who requested to be anonymous.
The general public’s enthusiasm for independence day celebrations have been dropping since 2024. At the same time the masses are becoming increasingly emboldened to take anti establishment stances. Mass protests and crack downs against them are becoming increasingly common. Disillusionment from the public will only continue to increase if at the very least wasteful state budget spending and basic demands from the public to find work and reliable education is not guaranteed from the government.
Han Kyeol Kim is an editor in Southeast Asia Analyst
