Indonesian authorities used fake news to brand critics as ‘foreign agents’: Amnesty

AI Summary

Amnesty International's report claims that Indonesian authorities have used disinformation to label critics as 'foreign agents'. This tactic is alarming as it highlights a concerning trend of increased militarization and suppression of dissent in Indonesia’s democracy.

Indonesian authorities, including the military, used online disinformation campaigns to brand activists and ⁠journalists as “foreign agents” and silence dissent, ⁠sometimes leading to physical threats, Amnesty International said ⁠in a report released on Tuesday. Amnesty’s findings reflect growing concerns that Indonesia, the world’s third largest democracy, is backsliding towards army rule under President Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces commander, who has expanded the military’s role...