Indonesian Military Denies Involvement in Violent Protests, Warns of Organized Anarchists
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Indonesian National Armed Forces on Friday, Sept 5, 2025, denied widespread social media claims alleging its members took part in violent demonstrations across the country. Military spokesman Brigadier General Freddy Ardianzah stressed that the viral reports were hoaxes designed to discredit the institution.
“At this press conference, I want to clarify several issues that we consider to be hoaxes,” said Freddy, head of the Armed Forces Information Center, in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.
He outlined five pieces of misinformation. The first accused a Strategic Intelligence Agency officer, Major SS, of joining a protest in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta, on Aug 28. Freddy said the officer was on duty gathering information.
Another hoax involved the alleged arrest of Private Handika Novaldo in South Sumatra on Aug 31. Freddy explained that Novaldo was only stopped by police while buying food and gasoline near a protest site.
A third case involved a man named Fajri Buhang, arrested in North Sumatra on Sept 1. He claimed to be a soldier but failed to provide proof of unit or identification. Freddy confirmed he was a civilian working in transportation.
A fourth case centered on a protester in Ternate, Pascal Mamangkey, accused of being a soldier who incited unrest. Freddy clarified that Pascal was a 16-year-old student falsely claiming to be military personnel.
The final case concerned a protester who said he was ordered by the son of a soldier to attack a police compound. Freddy said this was another false claim aimed at avoiding police scrutiny.
“We regret that such information went viral and shaped public opinion that TNI was behind the riots. With this clarification, we hope the public will no longer fall for these hoaxes,” Freddy said.
TNI Says Rioters Appeared Trained and Organized
Freddy also commented on the nature of the violence during the late August demonstrations, describing it as unusually systematic.
“When we observe closely, the patterns appear organized and trained,” he said, responding to suspicions that the burning and destruction of public facilities seemed professional and deliberate.
Although Freddy stopped short of identifying who may have trained the rioters, he confirmed that the military is strengthening its security systems to prevent similar incidents. He emphasized that the armed forces would continue to support the national police in maintaining order.
Freddy also noted that TNI remains open to criticism from the public. “We welcome observers who provide input so that we can evaluate ourselves, be more careful, anticipate better, and prepare preventive measures,” he said.
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