Indonesia Political Review urges calm amid Jakarta unrest rumors

Iwan Setiawan, Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Review (IPR), has urged the public to remain calm amidst circulating social media narratives regarding potential unrest in Jakarta, referred to as “Rusuh Agustus Jilid II”.

Setiawan noted that while the issue warrants vigilance, the narratives regarding potential riots are currently much more widespread on social media than any actual indicators on the ground. He highlighted a pattern where these narratives are repeatedly produced and amplified by networks of accounts and buzzers to consolidate public emotion and shape perception.

From a socio-political security perspective, Setiawan emphasized that social media serves as a space for mobilizing both opinion and emotion. He suggested that law enforcement and intelligence agencies should map the patterns of provocative content distribution to identify potential actors or interests, while cautioning against making accusations without legal proof.