September 14, 2025 | 11:35 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) is still detaining 583 individuals across various regions, following the week-long demonstrations towards the end of August 2025. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has ensured that child detainees receive special treatment.
KPAI Chairperson Margaret Aliyatul Maimunah stated that the treatment of child detainees refers to Law Number 11 of 2012 regarding the Juvenile Justice System. "They are treated humanely, do not receive cruel treatment, and their basic rights are fulfilled," said Margaret in a text message quoted on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
Furthermore, she also ensured the safety of the identities of the child detainees. "As well as not being mixed with adult detainees," she said.
Polri ensures that 583 out of the total 5,444 individuals who were arrested during the violent demonstrations at the end of August 2025 are still undergoing legal proceedings. They are spread across several major cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Makassar, and Medan.
Deputy Chief of Police Commissioner General Dedi Prasetyo stated that the investigators are distinguishing the roles of each individual. "We differentiate who the intellectual actors are, the financiers, the field operators, and those who just joined in," said Dedi in a press conference after a ministerial coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Political Affairs, and Security in Jakarta, on Monday, September 8, 2025.
Dedi explained that Polri is giving special treatment to the children who were detained. They are considering restorative justice as a resolution option. "We truly provide very special treatment to the children," he said.
As for the adult demonstrators who were arrested, Dedi continued, the police are still in the process of further investigation. Especially for those who have been proven to have committed vandalism, arson, looting of public facilities as well as police facilities.
"Including criminal acts of theft, assault and also such as the one in South Sulawesi which resulted in three deaths," Dedi said. This process of scientific evidence gathering, Dedi stated, is a necessity for all investigators to be able to prove the case before it proceeds to trial.
Minister for Legal, Political Affairs, and Security Yusril Ihza Mahendra also explained that the 583 individuals who are currently detained are still undergoing further investigation. So, according to Yusril, not all 500 individuals will definitely be brought to court.
"So we can sort out whether there is enough evidence or not, if there is enough evidence, then it's a matter of whether we will proceed with Restorative Justice or continue to trial, it depends on the development," said Yusril.
Yusril claimed that the government will also guarantee the legal rights of the demonstrators. He requested for lawyers to accompany them from the investigation stage. The government, he said, ensures that the process is conducted openly and transparently.
According to the government's data, over 4,800 individuals have been released since the demonstrations took place. Yusril claimed the involvement of independent institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission, KPAI, and the National Commission on Violence Against Women in monitoring the legal process. "We do not want injustice to occur to our own people," he said.
Intan Setiawanty contributed to the writing of this article.
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