Indonesia: Tight security and disruptions certain through Aug. 17 for Independence Day celebrations

Indonesia will celebrate its 79th Independence Day on Aug. 17 amid extant threats of terrorism and unrest. A public holiday will be observed Aug. 16. Main ceremonies will occur from 08:30 Aug. 17 at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, as well as the State Palace and ceremonial field in the future capital city of Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) in East Kalimantan. Local and regional government offices will also host ceremonies in provincial and regency capitals.

Security and traffic restrictions are certain near ceremony locations and key government buildings on and before Aug. 17. Well-attended public celebrations may also face an elevated risk of opportunistic crime like pickpocketing. Although authorities have not publicized any specific terror threats affecting the holiday, heightened counter-terror vigilance is likely around large events, diplomatic facilities, crowded public places, transport hubs, and religious sites. Officials have previously foiled bombing plots by Islamist terror outfits on Independence Day in 2015, 2017, and 2019. The tightest security is probable in the Core Center Government Area (Kawasan Inti Pusat Pemerintahan or KIPP) of IKN and central Jakarta.

Indonesian police will also likely deploy additional personnel in areas with known insurgencies, such as the Papua Province, to prevent security disturbances. Pro-independence groups in Papua will hold annual demonstrations Aug. 15 to denounce the 1962 New York Agreement that ceded the region's control from the Netherlands to Indonesia, and could hold additional rallies on Independence Day. Hundreds of activists may gather, especially in Jayapura, though authorities typically disperse protests promptly. Minor clashes and mass arrests are possible if security forces break up gatherings forcibly or activists resist any orders to disperse.

Widespread government office and business closures are likely during the public holiday on Aug. 16. Cyberattacks affecting the operations of government agencies are possible; a data breach reportedly occurred at the National Civil Service Agency in early August. Processing delays due to the movement of dignitaries may occur at the Semayang seaport in East Kalimantan, as well as regional airports such as the Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto International Airport (AAP) and Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN).