One of the detainees arrested during the May Day 2026 protests in Bandung, RR alias Mpe, who was previously accused of being the “leader of an anarchist group,” has now been charged by the police under terrorism laws. He has also reportedly been placed in isolation and denied access to legal counsel of his own choosing, raising serious concerns over the violation of a suspect’s right to provide testimony freely and without coercion, intimidation, or pressure.
In this case, the police appear to be employing the same narrative pattern used during last August’s unrest: identifying a supposed “mastermind,” “leader,” or individual believed to have planned and orchestrated the riots. Law enforcement authorities maintain that prosecuting those considered to be the driving force behind unrest can prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future. In practice, however, such an approach has often functioned as an authoritarian mechanism for criminalizing groups deemed disruptive to political stability, while simultaneously diverting public attention away from structural grievances and redirecting it toward specific individuals. Continue reading “Update Tahanan Anarkis May Day Bandung 2026 / Freedom for Mpe and the Mayday defendants (Indonesia)”
