LPSK Budget Cut, Terrorist Victims' Rights Threatened

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Victims of terrorism are requesting the government to reconsider the budget cuts for the Witness and Victim Protection Agency or LPSK. The budget cuts for the agency are feared to impact the medical services they have been receiving. Assistance from the state is still needed because, as a result of terrorist actions, they have not been able to live normal lives.

Secretary General of the Survivors' Family Foundation, an organization for terrorism victims in Indonesia, Vivi Normasari, who is also a survivor of the JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta in 2003, stated when contacted on Tuesday (11/2/2025) that after a long struggle for justice, she and several other terrorism victims only received a recovery program from the government in 2018. The program includes medical, psychological, and psychosocial services provided through LPSK.

Victims only received recovery programs after Law Number 15 of 2003 on the Eradication of Terrorism Crimes was revised through Law No. 5/2018. They are also worried that the struggle carried out by terrorism victims since 2003 will suddenly be interrupted due to the impact of the government's budget efficiency policies.

"We are saddened, why does the government seem to be neglecting the victims of terrorism, whose numbers are in the thousands. Meanwhile, only a few hundred have received recovery programs," said Vivi.

According to him, the recovery program from LPSK is very helpful for the daily lives of survivors. He, for instance, suffered severe injuries to his hands, legs, shoulders, and tailbone. During the JW Marriott bombing incident in Jakarta in 2003, he was struck by building materials.

"I need physiotherapy which costs Rp 800,000 per session at the hospital. Imagine if I had to manage the money myself without any assistance from the state. Because my hand is disabled, I am also jobless," he said.

"The doctor said that if I want my hand to function better, I need surgery. Therefore, I still very much need the government's assistance," he said.

Until now, he still regularly visits the doctor and takes pain relief medication. For each check-up, if he does not receive assistance from the government through LPSK, he has to spend up to hundreds of thousands of rupiah. Moreover, BPJS Kesehatan does not cover medical expenses for victims of terrorism.

Just like Vivi, he also hopes that the 60 percent budget efficiency experienced by LPSK will not affect the victims. He hopes that victims like him will continue to be prioritized by the government.

Based on this, Yayasan Keluarga Penyurtas sent an open letter to President Prabowo Subianto, the Ministry of Finance, and Commission XIII of the House of Representatives. They hope that the letter can touch the government's heart to reconsider the LPSK budget cuts.

"We hope that the efficiency carried out by the government also takes into account services to the community, including witnesses and victims of criminal acts," as quoted from the open letter.

Previously reported, budget cuts in LPSK as an implication of President Prabowo's instructions regarding the efficiency of the state budget have the potential to impact the declining quality of protection for witnesses and victims. Currently, LPSK is providing medical assistance and treatment at light to severe levels to 4,700 victims of crimes, including acts of terrorism and sexual crimes.

LPSK Deputy Chair Susilaningtias said that in 2024, LPSK received a budget of Rp279 billion. The budget decreased in the 2025 State Budget to Rp229 billion. Currently, with budget efficiency, the amount of budget received has decreased by Rp85 billion.

Susilaningtias said that this budget cut has the potential to hamper protection services for witnesses and victims of crime as well as reporters, experts and justice collaborators.

Amidst President Prabowo's instructions to streamline the budget and the negative impacts of that efficiency, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin instead appointed celebrity Deodatus Andreas Deddy Cahyadi Sunjoyo or Deddy Corbuzier as one of the special staff (stafsus) in addition to a number of other special staff and special assistants.

Head of the Defense Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General Frega Wenas Inkiriwang said that the appointment of special staff in each ministry is permitted based on Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 140 of 2024 concerning the Organization of State Ministries.

Meanwhile, Deddy was appointed as special staff in his capacity as a public communications expert.

"His broad influence in the media, including social media and his expertise in public communication, is expected to contribute to strengthening defense literacy and increasing public participation in defending the country," he said.

However, researcher at the National Secretariat of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), Gulfino Guevarrato, assessed that the appointment was unethical amidst the President's policy of streamlining the budgets of ministries/institutions and regional governments.

"This, actually, disrupts the atmosphere of interest of the ministry and others. At the time when there are honorary employees who are not extended, for example. Or, there are special staff or expert staff who are not extended because they have no work. While on the other hand, the Ministry of Defense is actually selling off special staff," he said.

He also questioned the urgency of the inauguration of the special staff and special assistants. In addition to spending the budget, the competence of the officials who were inaugurated was also questioned.