Growing fear of speaking out

Civil liberties in the world’s third largest democracy are in jeopardy, according to the latest study by pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia, amid public concerns over the government’s authoritarian posturing in response to criticisms over its policymaking methods in recent months.

The survey, conducted between Sept 24 to 30 and involving 1,200 people across the country, shows that the majority of respondents, at 79.6%, said they felt more afraid to publicly voice their opinions on current issues.