Thousands March on Jakarta Parliament Demanding Corruption Crackdown; DPR Pledges Asset Forfeiture Bill

On August 27, 2026 — the one-year anniversary of the deadly August 2025 riots that killed around 10 people and led to nearly 7,000 arrests — thousands of Indonesians, including around 200 students and members of the United Pati Community Alliance (AMPB), marched on the DPR (House of Representatives) complex in Jakarta demanding tougher punishment for corrupt officials, with some calling for the death penalty. Police deployed roughly 18,500 officers and detained 65 people as suspected 'provocateurs' before the march; smaller protests were also held in Yogyakarta and Makassar. DPR Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad signed a public commitment letter, witnessed by fellow deputy speakers Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal and Saan Mustopa, pledging to pass the long-stalled Asset Forfeiture Bill — first proposed in 2008 — by December 15, 2026, and stating lawmakers would resign if the deadline is missed. Critics later warned the pledge could be a tactic to defuse public anger over the corruption-tainted free-meals program rather than a genuine reform commitment.