Pancasila Day serves as an important moment to reflect on the increasingly regressive state of inclusion and tolerance in Indonesia. The numerous violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) that have occurred in recent years not only hinder the realization of the Indonesia Emas 2045 vision but also fundamentally contradict the spirit and moral values of Pancasila. This demonstrates that although Pancasila has, for the past eight decades, been recognized as the state’s fundamental norm (staatsfundamentalnorm), its meaning, internalization, and implementation remain largely absent from both state governance and public life, from political elites to grassroots communities. Rather than serving as the moral foundation and unifying force of the nation, Pancasila has too often become little more than a slogan devoid of genuine commitment.
Among the various FoRB violations occurring across Indonesia, SETARA Institute is particularly concerned that schools continue to serve as fertile ground for intolerance, exclusivism, and religious conservatism. Throughout 2024 alone, several notable incidents included: (1) the rejection of the construction of an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Jayapura; (2) a junior high school’s prohibition on female students wearing the niqab in Palembang; (3) opposition to the establishment of a Christian school in Parepare; (4) restrictions imposed by the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) on female members of the 2024 National Flag-Raising Troop (Paskibraka) wearing the hijab; (5) the rejection of a theological school’s curriculum in Nias; and others. Most recently, only days ago, intolerance and bullying within a school environment resulted in the death of an elementary school student because the victim practiced a different religion from the perpetrators. This tragic incident illustrates the fatal consequences of perpetuating intolerant behavior. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has likewise confirmed an increase in intolerance-based violence within schools.
In 2023, SETARA Institute’s survey conducted in five selected cities revealed an alarming level of intolerance among senior high school students. The survey found that 24.2% of students could be categorized as passively intolerant, 5.0% as actively intolerant, and 0.6% as exposed to violent extremist ideology. Moreover, 83.3% of respondents stated that Pancasila should not be regarded as a permanent ideology and therefore could be replaced.
When these 2023 findings are viewed alongside developments in 2024 and 2025, the series of FoRB violations in educational institutions paints a troubling picture of the declining resilience of Indonesia’s younger generation against the spread of intolerance within the education sector. Rather than introducing meaningful breakthroughs to eradicate intolerance, the state has largely remained passive and silent whenever intolerance occurs (violation by omission). Every educational institution formally has a Violence Prevention and Response Team (Tim Pencegahan dan Penanganan Kekerasan—TPPK) tasked with preventing various forms of violence, including bullying, sexual violence, and violence based on religious differences. However, the performance, role, and effectiveness of these teams have never been seriously monitored or evaluated. In practice, many TPPKs function merely as symbolic anti-violence institutions. This is particularly concerning given the state’s constitutional obligation to protect children as vulnerable groups and religious minorities, as guaranteed under Article 28B paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution and international human rights instruments ratified by Indonesia, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Ironically, the state itself has not infrequently become a perpetrator of violations, whether through direct actions (violation by commission) or discriminatory policies (violation by rule).
In light of the increasingly alarming situation of intolerance within educational institutions, SETARA Institute offers the following observations:
First, SETARA Institute deeply regrets and strongly condemns the various incidents of intolerance occurring within educational institutions. Schools, as the primary institutions responsible for shaping future generations, should be free from the spread of intolerance and should instead foster character development rooted in the values of Pancasila, particularly the humanitarian values embodied in the Second Principle of Pancasila.
Second, SETARA Institute regrets the Government’s lack of seriousness in promoting and actualizing the values of Pancasila. Many government initiatives related to Pancasila education among young people remain largely ceremonial and fail to address more substantive issues. The internalization of Pancasila’s spirit and values should not stop at curriculum development, ceremonies, or festivals. Rather, Pancasila must become a working ideology that genuinely shapes the mindset, values, and attitudes of young Indonesians, enabling them to resist conservatism and intolerance. Pancasila Day should serve as a genuine turning point for strengthening collective commitment across the education, economic, and socio-cultural sectors to create a more inclusive society.
Third, SETARA Institute condemns the institutionalization of intolerance through state policies. In addition to the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan)’s findings identifying 305 discriminatory regulations targeting women, including women belonging to religious minorities, SETARA Institute has documented at least 71 discriminatory legal products in Indonesia that specifically restrict certain religious minority groups. Intolerant policies have gradually become normalized and accepted. Such institutionalized intolerance not only constitutes violation by rule but also violates the fundamental principles of freedom of religion or belief as a negative right, which requires the state to refrain from excessive intervention so that individuals may fully enjoy their constitutional freedoms.
Fourth, SETARA Institute urges relevant ministries and state institutions to undertake serious reforms and adopt firm, effective measures to prevent and address intolerance, particularly within the education sector. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should immediately evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of Violence Prevention and Response Teams (TPPK) established within educational institutions. These teams should be capable of preventing incidents of violence and intolerance before they occur.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, together with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, should establish more effective training mechanisms for religious education teachers and civic education teachers while strengthening civic values and mainstreaming tolerance throughout religious and citizenship education in both schools and universities.
The Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) should conduct a comprehensive review of discriminatory policies and government programs at both national and regional levels that contribute to the normalization of intolerance. Internally, BPIP itself must undergo thorough institutional reform. The restriction imposed on female Paskibraka members wearing the hijab during last year’s Pancasila Day ceremony represented a serious warning sign that demands meaningful institutional improvement. As the institution entrusted with safeguarding Pancasila, BPIP should stand at the forefront of promoting and implementing Pancasila’s values—not the opposite.
Finally, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) should strengthen its oversight of discriminatory and intolerant practices within educational institutions. Cross-institutional collaboration is essential to restoring justice and ensuring security for victims of intolerance.
Media Contacts:
- Sayyidatul Insiyah, Rule of Law Researcher, SETARA Institute
- Harkirtan Kaur, Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Researcher, SETARA Institute