Edition 146: Oct-Dec 2021 - Inside Indonesia: The peoples and cultures of Indonesia

Jan 27, 2025 Last Updated 9:51 AM, Jan 27, 2025

Inside Indonesia

The threat of cyber troops

Illustration of ‘pro’ and ‘contra’ buzzers, featured in one of the growing number of news articles explaining the role of buzzers in Indonesian politics (Suara.com, 14 October 2019) / Suara.com/Iqbal Asaputro

Social media propaganda is increasingly common, weakening Indonesia’s democracy

Ancaman pasukan siber

/ Suara.com/Iqbal Asaputro

Propaganda membanjiri media sosial, melemahkan demokrasi Indonesia

Organisation and funding of social media propaganda

The desk of a buzzer, with dozens of phone cards and seven mobile phones / Wijayanto

Politicians and entrepreneurs spend big on hiring online mercenaries, or ‘buzzers’, to manipulate public opinion on social media in their favour

Pengorganisasian dan pendanaan propaganda media sosial

Meja seorang buzzer, terhampar lusinan kartu ponsel dan tujuh ponsel / Wijayanto

Politisi dan pengusaha menggelontorkan banyak uang untuk menyewa pasukan siber bayaran, atau ‘buzzer’

Election campaigns and cyber troops

Supporters rally behind the hashtag movement #2019GantiPresident (‘Change the President in 2019’) at the National Monument in Jakarta, 6 May 2018 / ANTARA/Muhammad Iqbal

The election campaigns of both Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto relied on social media propaganda to shape public perceptions

Cyber mercenaries vs the KPK

Map of online news covering the ‘KPK is a Taliban hotbed’ story, showing how mainstream media amplified the cyber troop campaign to garner public support for the KPK Law revision / Drone Emprit

Cyber troops spread disinformation to gain public support for the KPK Law revision

Pasukan siber bayaran vs KPK

Map of online news covering the ‘KPK is a Taliban hotbed’ story, showing how mainstream media amplified the cyber troop campaign to garner public support for the KPK Law revision / Drone Emprit

Bagaimana pasukan siber menyebarkan disinformasi untuk mendapatkan dukungan publik untuk revisi UU KPK

Normalising the New Normal

TransJakarta bus stops packed with passengers; employees were required to work from office during the New Normal period (June 2020) / kumparan/Iman Taufiq Hidayatullah

The government’s New Normal campaign has been lucrative business for buzzers

Selling the Omnibus Law on Job Creation

A protester raises the Indonesian flag during the Omnibus Law protest / TEMPO/Hilman Fathurrahman

The role of cyber troops in promoting Indonesia’s controversial pro-business bill

A ‘digital coup’ inside Partai Demokrat

Moeldoko delivering his speech at the Democratic Party’s extraordinary congress / Detik.com

Buzzers paved the way for an orchestrated takeover of the Democratic Party

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