As the authoritarian regime of Prabowo and Gibran tightens its grip on Indonesia in 2025, dissent has erupted across the nation. What began as a mass wave of protests against corruption, oppression, and systemic violence has turned into an unrelenting campaign of state-sponsored repression. In the streets, solidarity movements bloomed in the wake of a tragic event: the brutal killing of Affan, an online motorcycle driver run over by a Brimob [Mobile Brigade Corps- Special operations, paramilitary, and tactical unit of the Indonesian National Police] armored vehicle during a protest in Jakarta. This act of violence ignited an even greater fire of resistance, yet it also marked the beginning of a systematic crackdown on comrades, journalists, and anyone challenging the regime.
Two comrades from Solo, Rizky Ardiansyah, known as Riky, and Muhammad Rafli Andriansyah, or Kipli, were among the first to fall victim to the regime’s wave of arrests. The two were arrested in November for their involvement in a mass action in August at the Brimob Headquarters, Battalion C Pelopor, Manahan, Solo. They were charged with a range of serious offenses, including alleged property destruction and involvement in creating incendiary devices such as Molotov cocktails, accusations that were heavily inflated and fueled by visual evidence obtained by the police.
But the real story here is not just about the charges. They are a smokescreen, a tool used by the state to criminalize dissent and stifle the growing resistance. Both Riky and Kipli now face trial in Surakarta, with their hearings set for January 2026, but their plight is a reflection of a much larger reality: the state’s war against anyone who dares to oppose it. Continue reading “Post-August Mass Action Manhunt in Surakarta (Solo): Arrest of Comrades Riky and Kipli a.k.a Blazevomit – Indonesia”