September 27, 2025 | 04:28 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Law, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, ensures that the government has never banned the circulation of books. This statement follows the growing practice of police confiscating books.
Yusril guarantees that the government is very open to the circulation of any type of books, including those containing leftist ideologies. "The government has long been open to left-wing books," said Yusril in a press conference on Friday, September 26, 2025.
According to Yusril, the practice of banning or suppressing certain books is no longer being conducted. "Now all books are allowed; the government does not prohibit any books from being published," Yusril stated.
Regarding the practice of book confiscation, Yusril stated that it is part of the legal process carried out by the police. "It's only for deepening the investigation, to see the background of the case," said Yusril.
Earlier, police in various regions frequently confiscated books as evidence in cases involving riots at the end of last August. These cases occurred in Jakarta, West Java, and East Java, among others.
The East Java Regional Police is known to have confiscated various books from a 24-year-old riot suspect named GLM. Some of the confiscated books include The Thoughts of Karl Marx by Franz Magnis Suseno, Anarchism by Emma Goldman, and The Dictators by Jules Archer.
The Head of Public Relations of the East Java Regional Police, Commissioner Julest Abraham Abast, stated that the confiscation of books as evidence is part of the legal process. "Investigators have an obligation to gather sufficient and relevant evidence to prove a criminal act," said Abraham on Saturday, September 20, 2025.
Previously, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police had confiscated books belonging to the Director of the Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen. The police took Delpedro's books when they arrested the activist at his residence.
At that time, the police had examined Delpedro's books. Three of the books were then confiscated. "Several other items were also confiscated," said Delpedro's legal counsel, Daniel Winarta, to Tempo on Friday, September 5, 2025.
The West Java Regional Police also carried out efforts to confiscate books on September 17, 2025. The police confiscated several books as evidence, one of which was the novel titled This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer.
Hammam Izzuddin contributed to the writing of this article
Editor's Choice: Indonesian Govt Pushes Students to Read Books Aligned with National Values
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Jakarta Police Tap Ride-Hailing Drivers to Report Crimes with Rp500,000 Rewards
7 jam lalu
Jakarta Police are partnering with online motorcycle taxi drivers to boost public safety, offering Rp500,000 (US$30) rewards for reporting crimes.
Weekend in Jakarta: Visit Indonesia International Book Fair 2025 for Exciting Literary Events
19 jam lalu
The Indonesia International Book Fair will be held over the weekend in Jakarta. See what the largest book exhibition has in store, here.
The History of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Prabowo's Childhood Dream
22 jam lalu
Indonesian President Prabowo expressed his childhood dream of becoming a mounted police to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during their meeting.
Revised SOE Law Bans Ministers and Deputies from Holding Dual Roles
1 hari lalu
The fourth revision of the SOE Law officially prohibits ministers and deputies from holding multiple positions in SOEs.
Police Push to Repatriate Indonesian Woman Trapped in China Human Trafficking Case
1 hari lalu
Reni Rahmawati, a resident of Sukabumi, West Java, is suspected to be a victim of human trafficking with the modus operandi of mail-order bride.
Indonesian Govt Pushes Students to Read Books Aligned with National Values
1 hari lalu
Minister of Higher Education Brian Yuliarto hopes that students will read books in line with the nation's values.
Police Confirm Affan Kurniawan Case Moves to Criminal Investigation
1 hari lalu
The General Crime Directorate of the National Police is conducting an investigation involving 12 witnesses to probe the death of online motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan.
'He Was Beaten Every Day': Mother Speaks Out on Son's Alleged Torture by West Java Police
2 hari lalu
Very Kurnia Kusumah is believed to be a victim of wrongful arrest by West Java Police. The young man was not a participant in the demonstration.
Malaysia Police Refute US Analyst's Claim of Hosting Hamas Operations
2 hari lalu
Malaysia denies the claim made by former US Department of the Treasury's financial analyst, Jonathan Schanzer, stating that Malaysia is a center for Hamas operations.
Indonesian Police Name 959 Suspects, Including 295 Children, in August 2025 Riots
2 hari lalu
The police clarified that all suspects were perpetrators of the riots, not participants in the peaceful demonstrations.
