West Java Police Chief: Anarchic Action In Bandung Funded By International Groups

West Java Police Chief Inspector General Rudi Setiawan when showing evidence for the anarchic case at the West Java Police Headquarters, Bandung City, Tuesday (16/9/2025). ANTARA/Rubby Jovan

The West Java Regional Police stated that the anarchist actions that took place at a demonstration in Bandung City from August 29 to September 1, received funding support from international groups.

West Java Police Chief Inspector General Rudi Setiawan said the findings were obtained after the examination of a number of suspects affiliated with foreign anarchist networks through social media.

"There are funds coming in, funds coming out, tens of millions of rupiah from several names abroad. Of course, these names are all nicknames. They call themselves other names," said Rudi as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 16.

According to Rudi, to get recognition from an international anarchist network, the perpetrators were asked to take action to destroy it first, then upload it to social media.

Not only once, but many times. Only then did their email be replied to. The reply came from a country. After it was believed to be true that they understood one thing, then there was a remittance," he said.

He explained that one of the methods of sending the funds was carried out through PayPal and a digital wallet. Until now, the police are still tracing the flow pattern of funds whose value reaches tens of millions of rupiah.

After receiving financial support, he said, the suspects then recruited and incited others, including students and teenagers, to join the anarchist act.

"With the disclosure of information, they take advantage of this, so they can find or be together with anarchist groups abroad or international anarchists," said Rudi.

Rudi said his party is now coordinating with other regional police to ascertain whether there is a connection between anarchist actions in West Java and similar incidents in other provinces.

"I will tell you again after everything is successful we reveal, including who is behind all of this. Who ordered to do it, who is the intellectual father, we will reveal it later, because this involves several regions," he said.

The West Java Regional Police named 42 people as suspects in a demonstration that led to chaos over the destruction and burning of a number of public facilities and government offices.

"This anarchic act has been planned, using Molotov cocktails, pipe bombs, and social media as a provocation tool," he said.