Source: www.worthynews.com
Date: November 13, 2026
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JAKARTA, INDONESIA (Worthy News) – Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has submitted his resignation amid a dispute over his academic qualifications, his political aide confirmed Wednesday, as violent protests and allegations of police intimidation heightened tensions in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
Gibran, 39, the son of former President Joko Widodo, offered to step down after court rulings raised questions about his eligibility for the 2024 election and 120 lawmakers sought proceedings that could lead to his impeachment.
The political crisis coincided with demonstrations over rising living costs, stagnant wages, devastating forest fires and government accountability. In Yogyakarta, clashes between security forces and demonstrators led to 157 detentions, including 21 minors, authorities said.
However, Christians told Worthy News that police activity had extended beyond the streets, with officers entering churches and warning congregations against joining anti-government protests. Authorities described the visits as community outreach intended to promote security and religious harmony.
“It seems they want war against their own people. We are very worried that this could escalate further,” a church worker told Worthy News, referring to confrontations between security forces and protesters.
INDONESIA VICE PRESIDENT RESIGNS
The standoff came as Gibran submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday, according to his political aide, Budi Arie Setiadi. Two sources in Indonesia’s parliamentary upper house said he was expected to formally submit his resignation letter to the chamber Thursday, initiating the approval process and the selection of a replacement.
His decision followed rulings by Indonesia’s Constitutional Court and Supreme Court that raised serious questions about whether his overseas education documents met election requirements. The Constitutional Court found insufficient evidence of the required qualifications but said it could not itself remove him from office.
Lawmakers from eight political parties signed a petition challenging his eligibility to remain in office. The initiative included members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, who sought to invoke parliament’s constitutional right to express an opinion.
Gibran, who became vice president in October 2024, had reportedly offered to resign during a meeting with Prabowo on Tuesday. The president was said to have advised him to pursue legal avenues to defend his academic qualifications.
The controversy has also exposed tensions between Prabowo and Gibran’s father, widely known as Jokowi, whose political support helped Prabowo win the 2024 presidential election.
MILITARY MOBILIZATION HEIGHTENS TENSIONS
Political tensions intensified after Indonesia’s military announced the mobilization of nearly 21,000 personnel for security operations in Jakarta last week, following the detention of senior police officers accused of illegally wiretapping President Prabowo Subianto.
The operation involved troops already stationed in Jakarta, reinforcements from outside the capital and more than 13,000 personnel placed on standby at military bases.
Military officials described the mobilization as a precautionary measure to maintain national security and stability, while also citing preparations for military exercises. Authorities denied that the troops were being deployed to suppress anti-government demonstrations.
The wiretapping investigation led to the detention of three senior police officers, including former national police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who had served as presidential chief of staff. He was subsequently dismissed from that position.
The developments added to concerns about the role of security forces in Indonesia’s political life as the government faced mounting public dissatisfaction and tensions between competing political factions.
YOGYAKARTA PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT
In Yogyakarta, a major university and cultural center on the island of Java, about 430 kilometers (267 miles) southeast of Jakarta, hundreds of students and civil society activists gathered Tuesday, Indonesia’s National Heroes Day, to demand higher wages, improved environmental policies and an end to restrictions on rallies.
Protesters also called for the withdrawal of the controversial Jaga Warga neighborhood security initiative, which critics say has contributed to intimidation. Representatives met Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X before the gathering dispersed.
Violence erupted later that evening when approximately 100 people gathered near the provincial legislative council building and allegedly threw stones, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails, according to police.
Security forces deployed armored vehicles, water cannons and tear gas as clashes spread through parts of the city and continued into early Wednesday.
Police initially reported 154 detentions but subsequently raised the figure to 157, including 21 minors. Investigations director Yani Permana said officers were examining the detainees’ alleged involvement in the disturbances. Police said they were coordinating with child protection officials over the handling of the 21 minors.
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS DEMAND INQUIRY
Rights group Amnesty International Indonesia called for an independent investigation into allegations of excessive force, arbitrary detentions and the deployment of military personnel near university facilities.
The Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute reported receiving 64 complaints by Wednesday morning. Among those cases, 47 people had reportedly been detained, 13 remained unreachable, two were hospitalized and two had returned home.
“We are very worried about reports that many are missing. Where are they? What is the army doing?” a Christian told Worthy News, expressing concern about the fate of demonstrators.
The legal aid organization’s figures represented individual complaints rather than the overall police detention total. Those described as unreachable had not necessarily been confirmed missing.
Amnesty also expressed concern about tear gas spreading toward Gadjah Mada University and Panti Rapih Hospital, saying verified footage showed gas near the hospital’s emergency department. Police denied entering the university campus, while National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto promised to investigate the violence and whether unidentified groups had deliberately provoked confrontations.
POLICE ENTER CHURCHES
Additionally, police entered churches across Indonesia in recent weeks, addressing congregations during or around worship services, according to Indonesian sources and police statements.
Authorities described the visits as part of Minggu Kasih, or Sunday of Love, a nationwide outreach initiative promoted under National Police Chief Suyudi’s 2026 program.
Officers have introduced police greetings and promoted the slogan Polisi Bersama Masyarakat, meaning “Police Together With the Community.” Suyudi maintained that the initiative was intended to strengthen relations with religious communities and protect worshippers.
However, critics questioned the presence of uniformed officers inside churches amid protests against government policies. Indonesian human rights advocate Ardi Manto Adiputra, director of the organization Imparsial, warned that such visits could potentially constitute intimidation.
Some worshippers complained that police presentations disrupted religious activities. Christians in the Yogyakarta area also said officers had warned church members against participating in demonstrations, raising concerns that the outreach program could discourage peaceful political expression.
WORSHIPPERS QUESTION POLICE
On Sunday, November 8, officers visited congregations in Palembang, Ternate, Nabire, Pekanbaru, Bengkulu, Manado and Kupang, according to Indonesian media reports and police statements.
Similar visits were reported in Jakarta, parts of Kalimantan and other regions, prompting questions about the boundaries between police outreach, religious freedom and political activity.
The controversy followed sermons on November 1 in which several Protestant pastors raised three fingers, adopting a gesture associated with student demonstrations and calls for social justice.
At GPIB Marga Mulya church in Yogyakarta, Reverend Jimmy Marcos Immanuel Sormin encouraged worshippers to consider their responsibility toward people suffering from injustice and hardship. He also criticized problems surrounding the government’s free nutritious meals program, which has faced scrutiny over food poisoning incidents.
Reverend Risang Anggoro Elliarso of GKJ Condongcatur church linked the gesture to the Protestant Reformation and the importance of confronting abuses of power, while Reverend Rena Sesaria Yudhita of GKI Gejayan church urged Christians not to remain silent when justice is denied.
CHRISTIANS DEFEND RIGHT TO SPEAK
“When justice is ignored, when life is trampled upon for the interests of those in power, faith must take a stand, faith must speak, faith must demand,” Yudhita told worshippers, according to remarks translated from Indonesian.
She challenged congregants to consider whether Christians should always obey authority or sometimes demand accountability. Her church later explained that the three-finger gesture represented a call to love rather than hatred, build rather than destroy, and promote peace.
Indonesia, a sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago of roughly 280 million people, has the world’s largest Muslim population but also significant Protestant and Catholic communities. Its constitution recognizes religious freedom, although minorities have periodically faced discrimination, restrictions and intimidation.
President Prabowo, a former military general, has emphasized stability and national security while facing growing demands for economic reforms and greater accountability. Human rights organizations have warned that maintaining public order must not undermine peaceful assembly, freedom of expression or religious liberty.
For Christians speaking to Worthy News, the immediate concern is that confrontations between demonstrators and security forces could escalate. They say they are praying for peace and restraint as Indonesia faces political uncertainty following Gibran’s reported resignation.