After the demonstration in Jakarta people aktivis disappeared, Pigai said it was because he panicked
Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai believes that the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) was premature in declaring that there were people missing during the demonstrations that occurred in late August 2025.
According to Pigai, it is possible that the three people declared missing deliberately hid due to the panic that ensued.
“We are continuing to fight (participate in the search). I declare that we are continuing to fight, but it is too early to say they are missing. It is possible that people hid due to panic,” Pigai said when met at the Royal Kuningan Hotel, Jakarta, on Tuesday (September 17, 2025).
According to Pigai, a more appropriate term for the three people declared missing by Kontras would be “not yet seen” or “not yet returned home.”
He also believes that the whereabouts of the missing persons reported by Kontras can be quickly traced because the location of the disappearance is in Jakarta.
“Jakarta is a metropolis. There’s CCTV in every corner. With CCTV, we can find out where people are, where they’re going, and where they were last seen. That’s why people can find them. This is the investigative methodology,” said Pigai.
He mentioned that the Ministry of Human Rights will request the police to locate the three people who have been declared missing.
Therefore, he asked all parties, including the Indonesian National Commission on Violence (Kontras), to be patient and follow the police investigation.
“Therefore, my friends from Kontras, I say, you must understand what an investigation is. Yes, an investigation, be patient. We’re all working together. Kontras is working, we’re working, and we’ll see (the results). But don’t rush to conclude that they’re missing, especially using the term ‘enforced disappearance,'” Pigai said.
KontraS Report
Previously, KontraS reported that three people were still missing after the demonstrations, as of Friday (September 12, 2025). The following is the list:
1. Bima Permana Putra, not a demonstrator, has been missing since August 31, 2025. His last known location was in Glodok, West Jakarta.
2. M Farhan Hamid, a demonstrator, has been missing since August 31, 2025. He was last seen at the Brimob Kwitang, Central Jakarta.
3. Reno Syahputradewo, a demonstrator, has been missing since August 30, 2025. He was also last seen at the Brimob Kwitang, Central Jakarta.
