Indonesia’s democracy in peril? Hundreds jailed as protest crackdown sparks global outrage

Indonesia is facing one of its worst democratic crises in years. Following August’s protests against lawmakers’ housing allowance hikes, hundreds of activists remain behind bars in what rights groups call an “unlawful crackdown.” Among them is 25-year-old Delpedro Marhaen, whose family says he led a peaceful protest before being detained. Human rights observers warn this wave of repression marks a dangerous turning point for Indonesia’s democracy, once hailed as Southeast Asia’s strongest. As voices of dissent are silenced, fears grow that Jakarta is sliding toward authoritarianism again.