Bank Mandiri apologises after account freeze involving Indonesian activist

Bank Mandiri has publicly apologised and unblocked the bank account of Indonesian activist Supriyono, also known as Botok, following a request from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police.

The account, belonging to the coordinator of the Aliansi Masyarakat Pati Bersatu, had been frozen while Supriyono was conducting outreach and fundraising. It held approximately IDR 80 million (US$4,500) in funds, including donations collected to support the group’s planned protest outside Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) on 27 August.

Bank Mandiri president director Riduan confirmed the account had been reactivated during a press conference with the DPR’s Commission III, Jakarta Metropolitan Police chief Asep Edi Suheri and Jakarta Metropolitan Police director of criminal investigations Iman Imanuddin in Jakarta on 26 August.

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“As a bank that serves customers with consequences regulated by regulations, we will follow up on what was conveyed earlier to immediately reactivate the account that was previously instructed to suspend transactions,” Riduan said. “We apologise if anything has caused any concern.”

The account freeze drew widespread attention ahead of the 27 August protest in Jakarta, where regional community groups, students and others called for the passage of the Asset Forfeiture Bill and stronger efforts to combat corruption.

Supriyono said the funds comprised both his personal money and donations collected from members of the public to support the movement’s operational needs. The issue subsequently went viral on social media.

In a clip shared online, Supriyono was seen showing that the balance in his account was still visible on the banking app, although he was unable to use the funds for transactions. 

The incident also extended beyond banking. Supriyono said his TikTok account and WhatsApp messaging account had also been blocked.

Social media users rallied around calls to boycott Bank Mandiri. Some also shared screenshots of their bank transactions and said they had moved their funds to other banks as a sign of dissatisfaction.

Bank Mandiri later issued a statement and stressed that the freeze was carried out at the instruction of law enforcement authorities, rather than as a unilateral decision by the bank.

In the press conference, Bank Mandiri also said it remained committed to protecting customers and maintaining its banking services.

“We will always uphold the trust of our customers and the public by providing prudent, sound banking operations and the best possible service,” Riduan said.

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