“Dark Indonesia” and Astroturfed Subversion

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]

13 Demands

“Dark Indonesia” (#IndonesiaGelap) purportedly raise 13 demands of the Indonesian government. The first is for free, scientific and democratic education. This largely already exists. They call for the removal of TNI (Indonesian military) multifunctions, arguing that military involvement in the civilian sector will lead to repression or even a revival of “dwifungsi” (dual function) of the military which was the case under the former Suharto “New Order” regime which finally ended in 1998. It calls for the “evaluation” of the free nutritious meal program, so that it is “on target”. It demands the urgent addressing of corruption and the reform of the police to eliminate “repressive culture” and “increase professionalism”.[3] In addition, “Dark Indonesia” criticised the Draft Law on the Confiscation of Criminal Assets, and called on President Prabowo to issue a government regulation in lieu of a law (perppu), which they see as urgent to stop economic crimes and corruption.[4] #IndonesiaGelap also criticises the revised Mineral and Coal Mining Law, which they claim allows Universities to benefit from mining operations, including research funding, laboratory development and scholarships.[5]

If all this sounds a little contrived, it is because it certainly is. The “13 Demands” are a laundry list of claims, some of which are very specific, and some which give the game away entirely. This has been a consistent factor in multiple Western backed colour revolutions in recent years, and “Dark Indonesia” is no exception. For example, how can supposedly progressive “pro-people” protestors oppose the free nutritious school meals program? This was a flagship initiative of the new Prabowo administration launched on January 6. As the name implies, it is a government run program which aims to provide free nutritious meals (i.e., not junk or snack food) to all school children.[6] The government is spending billions of rupiah to bring this about, but the “revolutionary” protestors are opposing it? Such a program does not even exist in many Western capitalist states.

In the midst of the #IndonesiaGelap protests, the punk band Sukatani, who released the album “Gelap Gempita” (Darkness and Gloom) were reportedly banned by police from playing their song “Bayar Bayar Bayar” (pay pay pay).The song criticises police corruption, although in the song “the police” is rather generic. The duo was apparently compelled to publish an apology video and withdraw the song from being posted on online playlists.[7] It is true that punk rock, including in Indonesia, has a history of creative and artistical opposition to the government and authority. If punk artists released music with a political message which was not related to an active subversion attempt, it would simply be a case of free expression. However, it is a different story entirely when a punk band releases a song as part of a staged “uprising”. In this case, its legitimacy is rather exposed.

Astroturfed

Astroturfing, according to Wikipedia, is the deceptive practice of hiding the sponsors and funders of a campaign or set of organisations to make it appear as though it originates from, and is supported by, unsolicited grassroots participants.[8] The participants may be aware, or unaware, of the source of the funding behind their demonstrations. This process has taken place in umpteen colour revolutions over the last two decades, and this subtle process at play with “Dark Indonesia”. Colour revolutions are of course not revolutionary, or even progressive in the slightest way, given who and what is invariably behind them – the deep states of Western imperialism. President Prabowo is well aware of what is going on. Prabowo is the chairperson of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party, which used the term “antek asing” (foreign lackey/stooges) during its election campaign. “Antek” refers to a party that is manipulated or becomes the accomplice of others. Prabowo stated that “It will be revealed that non-government organisations (NGOs) and the mass media are being financed by foreign parties to influence public opinion”.[9]

Prabowo has offered to sit down with the protestors to discuss their issues and demands, several times. He notes that the protestors complain about repression of civil society and public spaces that are supposedly filled with soldiers but then adopt the slogan of #KaburAjaDulu (Just Run Away). In response, Prabowo replies “Come on, don’t run away, let’s build Indonesia together”.[10] But sitting down and discussing genuine issues is not on the agenda of a Western backed regime change attempt, using predominantly young people in thrall to the abstract notions of “civil society”, “civil participation” and the like. Whether they are conscious of it or not, many of these students are being activated to fight for an agenda which has very different values to their own.

A few minutes of research online will reveal the extent of US sourced astroturfed funding for “Dark Indonesia” subversion. The US Donald Trump Administration has to some extent nobbled its regime change operations by effectively abolishing the notorious US Agency for International Development (USAID), and reducing funding for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the regime change arm of the CIA. Just prior to this, since 2020 USAID spent $800 million in Indonesia ostensibly for health, governance and democracy (!), economic development and environmental sustainability (a likely story). Just in 2024 alone, USAID spent $153 million on such programs.[11] The inimitable billionaire anti-socialist regime change specialist George Soros and his Open Society Foundation (OSF) have been active in Indonesia for decades through the TIFA Foundation which claims to “strengthen the rule of law and protect the rights of all citizens”.[12] This is NGO code for underwriting the very institutions of the host country with the intention of eventually overthrowing them altogether. The billionaire US based Ford Foundation does the same type of white anting of Indonesia’s government and public bodies while fantastically claiming that “corruption and intolerance are hampering the country’s progress in fighting inequality and building a society that values diversity”.[13] This grandiose language covers the fact that it is doing precisely the opposite, enlisting well intentioned Indonesians generally unaware of the nefarious aims of the foreign funded “civil society” organisations.

Billionaire Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar’s Luminate also operates in Indonesia, claiming to “advance foundational rights” and to be “protecting civil society actors from repression” (!).[14] Needless to say, one has to ask exactly what “civil society actors” are doing if their activity is subject to government enforcement measures. It is not difficult to conclude that imperialism uses “NGOs” such as the OSF, the Ford Foundation and Luminate to prosecute regime change so it appears that Washington and the Pentagon are completely blameless. Here is the source of the funding for “Dark Indonesia”, and much else in the vast Indonesian nation. This is the case even while it can be acknowledged that the Indonesian government welcomes “foreign aid” from the likes of USAID. In early February, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that USAID’s “health” funding was not stopped, but on hold.[15] While many nations in the “Global South” do eagerly accept aid from the capitalist West, and while it may contribute to some good outcomes, it is also a double-edged sword.

Indonesia joins BRICS

It is not hard to see why imperialism would seek regime change in Indonesia almost as soon as a new government has taken office in Jakarta. Whatever the political history of Prabowo Subianto, his administration pledged to seek membership of the non-imperialist BRICS bloc, whereas the previous administration of Joko Widodo did not seek such a path. Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest nation by population, with 285 million citizens.[16] The BRICS bloc, named after its core founding members of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, added Indonesia as the tenth full member in January. This was somewhat a surprise, as it took the place of Saudi Arabia, which eventually declined its invitation to join. Indonesia is the first South East Asian nation to join BRICS as a full member, even though Malaysia and Thailand are now partner members.[17] Indonesia joining BRICS further consolidates it as no longer just a Eurasian economic bloc, but one that genuinely includes many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Indonesia’s economy is growing rapidly, with a hugely impressive 5.05% GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth in 2023, and 5.03% in 2024.[18]

Undeniably, Indonesia’s rapid growth is one consequence of further economic co-operation with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the socialistic Asian superpower. PRC led investment in Indonesia took off soon after Indonesia joined Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The flagship project has been the Jakarta to Bandung high speed train, the first of its kind in South East Asia, which began operating in 2023. PRC based investment in Indonesia skyrocketed from $173.6 million in 2010 to $7.4 billion in 2023. Today, the PRC is the second largest investor after Singapore.[19] The top four sectors benefiting from PRC led investment in Indonesia are: 1. Mining and Metals 2. Manufacturing and Technology 3. Electric Vehicles and Clean Energy and 4. Infrastructure and Engineering. In mining, the PRC leads investment in the production of nickel, alumina and stainless steel. PRC based brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO and VIVO are the most popular brands of smart phones in Indonesia. PRC firms have built highways and power plants in Meulaboh, Pangkalan Susu, Batang, Java and Sumatra.[20]

Imperialism is cognisant that PRC based firms are fuelling Indonesia’s economic growth, while also building critical infrastructure in a quid-pro-quo. They are also aware that they cannot compete with Red China in the vast manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), which make an important contribution to combating climate disasters. In response, its propagandists have whipped up a campaign against the Morowali Industrial Park and the Weda Bay Industrial Park for environmental damage and mistreatment of its workers.[21] The hypocrisy is jaw-dropping, as capitalism in the West is responsible for the vast majority of environmental damage, not to speak of centuries of exploitation of the labour of working people. There is some environmental damage involved in mining, and no doubt some industrial accidents, which should be addressed. At the same time, Morowali Industrial Park employs around 70 000 local Indonesians, and Weda Bay employs around 35 000 local workers. And, in recent years due to the rapidly growing economy, the wages of these workers have increased from around $25 a day to $63 a day.[22] In a developing nation such as Indonesia, this is hard to knock back.

Faux left backs faux rebellion

Multiple reformist left parties and publications fly the flag for the US billionaire funded “Dark Indonesia” intrigue. The social-democratic Jacobin assumes the protests are the genuine article, even while recognising that it is extremely odd for protestors to be opposing a free school meals program.[23] The Australian Socialist Alliance, in its newspaper Green Left, claims that “Dark Indonesia” protestors had “clashed with police” in Surabaya while at the same time acknowledging that, in fact, the protestors had stormed the East Java regional parliament.[24] Physically storming a parliament may well occur during a genuine revolution, but when it is funded by the likes of George Soros, there is not a progressive agenda at play. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) chime in behind USAID and their apostles, even while acknowledging that the budget cuts in some areas took place in order to pay for the free school meals program.[25] The Communist Party of Australia Marxist-Leninist (CPA-ML) take the biscuit for over-the-top denunciations by declaring the Indonesian government a “fascist regime” ! They go on to complain that the military should not be used to distribute the free school meals (!), and should not be involved in organising the Hajj pilgrimage.[26] One wonders if the CPA-ML imagine the government should do anything in the fourth most populous nation on Earth, and with the largest Muslim population on Earth, even surpassing Pakistan.[27]

Almost uniformly, the liberal Western left have jumped up and down for over 18 months about Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, with the full backing of imperialism. While a protest movement against these horrific war crimes was of course necessary, the moderate left parties have led it with severely limited politics. They are exasperated that no one seems to be “doing something”. As it happens, the Prabowo Subianto administration has offered to take in 1000 Palestinians from Gaza without it being viewed as a permanent relocation of Gaza. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono has emphasised that all parties must agree, and President Subianto has travelled to five Middle Eastern nations to seek support for the evacuations.[28] Unlike Western countries, in Indonesia support for Palestine is a near universal position, from the highest levels of government down to hundreds of millions of Indonesian citizens. If the “Dark Indonesia” protestors opposed the government’s moves to offer shelter for Palestinians from Gaza to escape being bombed by the Israeli state, they would obviously face universal scorn and derision throughout the country.

If the myrmidons of US backed regime change openly opposed Indonesia joining BRICS, or openly opposed Indonesian co-operation, trade and investment with Red China, its reactionary agenda would immediately be apparent. So, in order to draw in the unwitting, “Dark Indonesia” vaguely talks about the rights of so-called civil society, the removal of the military from civilian affairs, reform of the police and such like. All of this is window dressing. Imperialism will attempt regime change in any country, regardless of population size, if it will no longer serve the interests of Western capitalism – which is in a dire state of decline. Historically Indonesia has been non-aligned and has not opposed US imperialism even despite its sordid history within the nation. However today Indonesia, like many other countries in the global south, can see the writing on the wall. The former colonial powers of the West have ruled for 500 years, but now their time is coming to an end. The BRICS process is just the first step towards the building of an alternative to imperialism, and Indonesia seeks to play its part.

In April, Indonesia and China marked 75 years of diplomatic relations.[29] Today, their strategic partnership, as well as their full membership of BRICS, portends a bright future for Indonesia. Imperialism, on the on the other hand, will stop at nothing to break down and undermine these epoch changing developments. This includes orchestrating a barely concealed regime change attempt such as the factitious “Dark Indonesia” protests. It is the case that the Indonesian Republic is not socialist, and nor is BRICS, and nor does the PRC seek to extend socialism beyond its borders. Despite this, Marxists must be aware that socialism internationally must today traverse through the non-imperialist BRICS bloc and economic integration with the socialistic PRC. At the same time, the urgent political task of building Leninist vanguard parties which uphold Permanent Revolution throughout Indonesia, the Asia Pacific and the West remains key to resolving the unending crises facing humankind. Capitalism is fading into history, and working people should help it find its way out.

Workers League

www.redfireonline.com

E: workersleague@protonmail.com

[1] www.en.tempo.co/read/1978295/one-week-of-dark-indonesia-a-movement-that-spreads-across-the-nation (16-04-2025)

[2] www.indonesia2045.go.id/ (16-04-2025)

[3] www.voi.id/en/news/462371 (16-04-2025)

[4] www.kompas.id/artikel/en-apa-yang-sebenarnya-terjadi-dengan-demonstrasi-indonesia-gelap (16-04-2025)

[5] www.jakartaglobe.id/news/dpr-passes-revised-mineral-and-coal-mining-law (16-04-2025)

[6] www.milanurbanfoodpolicypact.org/indonesias-groundbreaking-government-program-for-free-nutritious-school-meals/ (16-04-2025)

[7] www.asianews.network/banning-sukatani-how-indonesian-police-undermine-free-expression/ (16-04-2025)

[8] www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing (16-04-2025)

[9] www.indoleft.org/analysis/2025-03-24/prabowo-and-his-shifting-use-of-the-foreign-lackey-narrative.html (16-04-2025)