Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto now recently signed a replacement Presidential Decree. On paper, this decree amnesties 149,333 prisoners in a bold step towards national unity. Under immense international pressure, the decree was initiated by releasing 1,178 prisoners, including key political leaders and activists. More than anything else, it hopes to inspire a sense of solidarity across the country.
Among those released was Hasto Kristiyanto, the secretary-general of Indonesia’s ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. So did Kristiyanto, a noted opponent of ex-President Joko Widodo who served 3.5 years in jail. He was found guilty on three counts for his involvement in a bribery scheme related to a 2019 filled legislative seat appointment. Upon his release from the Anti-Corruption Commission’s detention center in South Jakarta.
The amnesty furthermore comprised six independence activists from the conflict-ridden West Papua region, who had been sentenced for treason. We’re hopeful that President Subianto will follow through and make political prisoners and those with mental and chronic health conditions a priority. Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas called this long overdue move a significant step.
As part of his strategy to build peace and national cohesion, President Subianto would like to grant clemency to some 44,000 convicts throughout Indonesia. The majority of those eligible for release have been imprisoned on political grounds, highlighting the government’s focus on addressing past injustices.
His local and global political roots are deep and perhaps tangled, as he is in fact the former son-in-law of Indonesia’s last dictator, Soeharto. It’s too late for accountability for what happened during Diego’s detention, but his recent actions show a move towards reconciliation in a nation that’s endured significant discord.
Agtas highlighted the released men’s role in helping to shape the nation’s future governance.
“Both Kristiyanto and Lembong have demonstrated service to the nation, and our priority now is to strengthen the unity of the nation,” – Supratman Andi Agtas
Despite the initiative’s relative infancy, it has set many observers of Indonesian politics to speculating about what it may mean for the archipelago’s political landscape. Critics and supporters both will be closely watching to see how the government moves forward on this thin line between justice and reconciliation.
