Indonesia's New Foreign Surveillance Regulation Is a Nightmare for Journalists and Researchers

Indonesia's police gain sweeping powers to monitor foreigners, focusing on journalists and researchers through certificates, data collection, and vague prohibitions.

Indonesia just dropped a bombshell regulation that basically gives police carte blanche to monitor foreign journalists and researchers throughout the country. And the worst part? It's written so vaguely that almost any reporting could potentially trigger enforcement.

Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025, signed on March 10 by National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, establishes a comprehensive surveillance framework that requires journalists and researchers to get special police certificates for working in "certain locations." What locations? The regulation conveniently doesn't say.

This new law isn't subtle about its targets. It specifically calls out journalists and researchers, you know, the exact people most likely to document and report on sensitive issues in Indonesia.

Here's What the Regulation Actually Does

The eight-page document, which we've reviewed in full, creates a two-tier system for monitoring foreigners:

First, there's "administrative supervision" which requires:

• Special police certificates for journalists and researchers beyond their already-complex visa requirements

• Hotels and other accommodation providers to hand over foreigners' personal data to the police

• Collection of passport information and "other information" (whatever that means) deemed necessary by authorities

Then there's "operational supervision" which the regulation barely explains at all, simply stating it will be implemented "in accordance with laws and regulations." That's bureaucrat-speak for "we'll make it up as we go."

The regulation explicitly prohibits foreigners from engaging in:

• "Political activities" (extremely convenient for shutting down coverage of political issues)

• Activities that "violate social norms, customs, or local wisdom" (about as vague as prohibitions get)

• Activities merely "suspected" of endangering security (no proof needed)

It Gets Worse

Indonesia's police are developing an electronic system to issue these certificates, essentially creating a digital infrastructure specifically designed to track journalists and researchers throughout the country.

The Intelligence and Security Agency (Baintelkam Polri) will coordinate this surveillance from top to bottom, from local police stations all the way up to national headquarters.

"This regulation represents one effort to carry out the main duties and functions of the Indonesian National Police to maintain security and public order," states the document, which frames these restrictions as somehow protecting foreigners.

The Real Impact

While Indonesian officials would likely claim this is just about security, the regulation's focus on monitoring those who produce information about the country tells a different story.

Foreign reporters already face significant hurdles in Indonesia, especially when covering sensitive regions like Papua, where the government has maintained tight restrictions on international media access for decades.

This regulation essentially creates a legal framework for shutting down reporting and research that authorities don't like, all while maintaining the appearance of a rules-based system.

Legal Experts and Press Organizations Sound the Alarm

Indonesian civil society organizations are already voicing strong opposition to the regulation. The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has challenged the legal basis of the entire framework.

Muhammad Isnur, Chairman of YLBHI, points out that the regulation fundamentally oversteps police authority: "Why is it the police who are supervising? That's the job of Immigration. This clearly violates the original spirit of the Police Law and overrides the Immigration Law because monitoring foreigners is part of Immigration's responsibility."

Isnur didn't mince words about the regulation's true purpose: "This is clearly part of a spirit to close the door to information. To close off the participation of international journalists in covering Indonesia. So this is truly a threat to democracy."

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has similarly condemned the regulation. AJI Chairperson Nani Afrida emphasized that the police regulation conflicts with Indonesia's Press Law: "This police regulation doesn't reference Press Law No. 40/1999 but is only based on the Police Law. This regulation also overlaps with immigration authorities regarding foreigners."

Afrida noted that restrictions on foreign journalists began during the previous administration and are now being formalized: "This police regulation will further restrict journalists' access to report on important matters in Indonesia and interfere with everyone's right to obtain information."

The National Police spokesperson has not responded to requests for comment on these criticisms.

What This Means for Media and Academia

If you're planning to report from Indonesia or conduct research there, you're now looking at:

• Yet another layer of bureaucracy with police certificates required beyond existing permits

• The constant knowledge that your hotel and other accommodation providers are likely reporting your whereabouts to police

• Uncertain boundaries around what reporting or research topics might trigger enforcement

• A built-in chilling effect from vague prohibitions against violating "social norms" or engaging in anything that could be construed as "political"

This represents a significant blow to press freedom in a country that is already ranked a dismal 111th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2024 World Press Freedom Index, dropping three places from 2023. The Conversation noted last year that there had been 87 cases of violence against journalists in 2023 in the country with only 7 brought to court. A Kompas journalist was harassed, abused, and had his equipments seized and scanned by the police, while covering the protests against the newly passed TNI legislation in Jakarta just the other week.

The regulation takes effect immediately, so any journalists or researchers currently in Indonesia are already subject to these provisions. Whether and how aggressively they'll be enforced remains to be seen, but the legal framework for extensive surveillance is now firmly in place.

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