Indonesians Increasingly Afraid to Talk Politics, SMRC Says

Indonesians Increasingly Afraid to Talk Politics, SMRC Says

Indonesians Increasingly Afraid to Talk Politics – Saiful Mujani, the head of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting, reported that citizens are growing more hesitant to express political views under President Prabowo Subianto’s leadership. His remarks are rooted in a March 2026 survey conducted by the organization, which highlights a shift in public sentiment compared to the early years of Indonesia’s post-Suharto era.

The study measured the level of anxiety people feel when discussing political issues. Results showed that 30% of participants expressed fear in engaging with political topics, indicating a decline in freedom of expression. This trend suggests that open political discourse is facing greater constraints in the current climate.

“At the beginning of the reformation, on a scale from 0 to 10, the score was seven. Now, it has dropped to only three,”

Saiful shared during the Republic Conference in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on June 28, 2026. He emphasized that this decline contrasts sharply with the more open political environment seen in the 1990s.

V-Dem Index Reveals Deteriorating Freedom

Additionally, Saiful referenced the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) index, which evaluates freedom of expression. The index reveals that Indonesia’s freedom score remained around 7 between 2000 and 2010. However, by 2025, it had fallen below 5, with an average of 4 across all indicators.

He warned that this erosion of civic freedoms reflects a broader concern about arbitrary actions by state institutions and constitutional breaches. Saiful argued that such fears must be addressed to protect democratic participation.

Event Shifted Due to Administrative Hurdles

The Republic Conference was originally set to take place at UI Campus in Salemba, Central Jakarta, but was moved to Cikini after UI cited procedural issues. The change came just days before the event, which Saiful attended on June 28, 2026.

Participants included civil society leaders like Sudirman Said and Yanuar Nugroho. Saiful had previously shared these findings on the SMRC TV YouTube channel, where he discussed national surveys tracking political expression over time.

Since Prabowo took office in October 2024, public perception of political fear has steadily increased. Initially, 51% of respondents believed people were reluctant to discuss politics. By March 2026, that number had risen to 53%.

Read: Why UI Canceled Republic Conference After Prabowo Talk

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