President Prabowo Subianto has decided not to establish a government-sanctioned Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) to investigate the late August protests that descended into violence, opting instead to support an independent probe launched by six state human rights institutions.

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Institutions Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, that the president welcomed the initiative by the six institutions, which had already established a non-judicial independent investigative team.

“The President has given them the green light to carry out the investigation and uncover the facts behind the protests,” Yusril told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

According to Yusril, the team of the six institutions holds stronger legitimacy and independence compared to a TGPF formed under a presidential decree, which would ultimately report back to the president.

The six bodies involved are the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), the National Commission on Disabilities (KND), the Ombudsman, and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK).

“These six institutions were established by law and operate under legal mandates. Their members and commissioners are selected through rigorous processes, and they are state institutions, not government agencies,” Yusril emphasized.

Fact-finding mission

Komnas HAM chair Anis Hidayah said in a press conference on September 12, 2025, that the independent team’s work aims not only to establish facts, but also to provide recommendations for justice and recovery for victims.

“The team will gather facts, collect information about the victims’ conditions, assess what the government has done, and recommend measures to ensure truth, justice, and reparation,” Anis said.

The scope of the investigation includes monitoring the protests and subsequent riots, evaluating the human, social, and economic impacts, and documenting fatalities, injuries, psychological trauma, and damage to public facilities.

The team will also seek to uncover the masterminds behind the violence and identify both state and non-state actors involved. In addition, it will look into reports of missing persons related to the unrest.