Jakarta Asset Forfeiture Bill Protests: Political Maneuvers and Police Probe
A planned mass protest in Jakarta by residents of Pati Regency, Central Java, was defused in the early hours of Wednesday, August 26, 2026, following a direct late-night meeting and phone call with President Prabowo Subianto at the Nusantara III Building in Senayan.
Late-Night Negotiations in Senayan
Supriyono, a representative of the United Pati People’s Alliance (AMPB) also known as Botok, met with four deputy speakers of the House of Representatives (DPR) inside the Delegation Room shortly after midnight, according to reporting by Tempo. During the gathering, House Deputy Speaker and Gerindra Party Executive Chair Sufmi Dasco Ahmad handed his mobile phone to Supriyono, allowing him to speak directly with President Prabowo for several minutes.
During the telephone exchange, Supriyono assured the President that the mobilization of Pati residents, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, August 27, 2026, was an authentic expression of local grievances rather than a proxy action. “No one was riding on our movement or financing it, not the Solo gang or any group in power,” Supriyono told Tempo in a subsequent interview on September 3, 2026, recounting his statements to the head of state.
Demands for Anti-Corruption Legislation
According to an attending state official, Supriyono informed President Prabowo that the demonstrators aimed to support official anti-corruption efforts. The central grievances driving the planned march included demands for the passage of the Asset Forfeiture Bill and the implementation of the death penalty for corrupt officials.
The legislative debate surrounding the Asset Forfeiture Bill previously stalled during the administration of Joko Widodo. In March 2023, Bambang Wuryanto, then serving as Chair of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs, noted that parliamentary deliberation of the bill ultimately depended on directives from major political party leaders, according to coverage by Tempo Magz.
Following the discussions between the AMPB delegation, Dasco, and the three other House deputy speakers, Supriyono confirmed he had pledged to the administration that the August 27 demonstration in the capital would remain peaceful.