Prabowo President Considered Inconsistent with Civil Society Criticism

President Prabowo's attitude is considered inconsistent in responding to criticism from civil society. (Ist)

JAKARTA - The Executive Director of The Indonesian Institute, Center for Public Policy Research, Adinda Tenriangke Muchtar, assessed that President Prabowo Subianto's latest statement regarding civil society criticism showed an inconsistent attitude compared to his previous attitude when he first took office.

Because, at the beginning of his administration, President Prabowo said he was open to input and criticism from the public. Later, the president often referred to observers and critics of the government as being funded by foreign parties.

Adinda said this was the cause of the low democracy index, including trust in institutions or pillars of democracy. Adinda also alluded to the attack on activist of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Andrie Yunus, including to the Chairman of the Student Executive Board of Gadjah Mada University (BEM UGM), Tiyo Ardianto some time ago.

"This also clearly shows that academic freedom, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression are still vulnerable in Indonesia," he said, Wednesday, March 18.

"This is clearly a negative and worrying signal for democracy in Indonesia," continued Adinda.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto accused a number of observers of not having a patriotic attitude and getting financial benefits by criticizing the government. According to him, there are several types of observers in Indonesia. One of them is an observer who does not like his government to succeed because he has hidden motives.

The President admitted that he routinely received intelligence information about observers who did not like the government. From the report, he knew the parties who funded them. "In my opinion, their attitude is narrow, not patriotic," he added in a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, last weekend.