Signal Indonesian State Bank Freezes Anti-Corruption Protesters' Donation Account

Summary

Indonesia's state-owned Bank Mandiri has drawn strong criticism from civil society groups after freezing an account belonging to an anti-corruption protest coordinator. The account belongs to Supriyono, coordinator of the United Pati Community Alliance, which has organized residents from Pati, Central Java, to protest outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta, and it held around 80.9 million rupiah, about 4,900 US dollars, in personal funds and public donations meant to cover protesters' food, transportation, and accommodation. The planned protests were set to demand asset seizure and the death penalty for individuals convicted of corruption. Civil society groups warned that the freeze restricts civic freedoms and could erode public trust in the state-owned lender. Bank Mandiri has since apologized and attributed the freeze to a request from law enforcement authorities. However, the bank did not identify the agency involved or provide details of the case or its legal basis.