ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship No. 1/PNPS/1965 on the Abuse and Defamation of blasphemy law, established during President Soekarno’s Religion). Article 4 of this brief presidential instruction tenure. Previously, there was only a single article inserted an article on blasphemy into the old criminal that “protected” six officially recognized religions code, under Article 156a. The article 156a of the in Indonesia: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, old Criminal Code regulates the blasphemy and Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The new religious defamation with punishment up to five code broadens the law’s coverage because it adds the years in prison. word kepercayaan (belief) to what is covered under 20 The new Criminal Code has not eliminated blasphemy, even maintaining the provision. Articles 300-305 of the new criminal code extend the scope of the 1965 the 1965 law. Article 302 states that if a believer becomes a non-believer, that is apostasy and that anyone who attempts to persuade a person to be a non-believer is committing a crime.21 #PeoplePower I How Are People Resisting Digital Dictatorship? In the Face of Silence: People Power and Civil Society’s Battle for Freedom in Indonesia While the legislative framework in Indonesia may be discouraging, Indonesians do not lose hope and continue to fight against these restrictions on freedom of expression. Among these efforts, a coalition of legal experts and civil society groups united in December 2022 as the National Alliance for Criminal Code Bill Reform to thwart the passage of the Criminal Code Bill. Through concerted efforts, they scrutinised the bill’s provisions and engaged with various media outlets to raise awareness about its potential impact. Their primary concern centred on the threat to freedom of expression posed by certain provisions, which they deemed regressive and likely to roll back democratic gains made since Suharto’s departure in 1998. By mobilising public opinion and advocating for democratic principles, the coalition aimed to defend fundamental rights and preserve Indonesia’s democratic trajectory. At the same time, on December 5, 2022, the Press Legal Aid Society (known as LBH Pers in Bahasa Indonesia) organised a protest outside the House of Representatives against the enactment of the Criminal Code, citing concerns about threats to press freedom. Journalists expressed apprehension about the potential criminalisation they may face under Article 263, which addresses the dissemination of misinformation without providing clear criteria for what constitutes false information. This ambiguity raised fears among press members regarding the risk of undue legal action. The protest garnered widespread support from diverse groups, including NGOs, legal aid organisations, indigenous communities, students, labour unions, environmental activists, and women’s rights advocates.22 This illustrates how Indonesians are keenly aware of their country’s policies and are quick to stand up for their own interests. It shows that when needed, people from different backgrounds come together to protect their rights and freedoms, highlighting a strong sense of community and democracy, where everyone has a voice in shaping the country’s future. Indonesia 75