Punk rock band ‘forced by police’ to apologise for anti-corruption song

Rights groups and musicians say Sukatani was intimidated into issuing apology and removing their popular song from streaming platforms

Punk rock band Sukatani issue apology for anti-police song amid ongoing student protest (Screengrab/Sukatani )

Indonesian police have been accused of ‘intimidating’ a punk rock bank after they took down an anti-corruption song from streaming platforms.

Sukatani, a punk rock duo from Central Java, issued an apology on social media last week for the song “Bayar, Bayar, Bayar” – ‘Pay, Pay, Pay’ – which called out alleged corruption in the Indonesian police.

Released in 2023, the song accused the police of taking bribes for issuing driving licences, freeing detainees from jail and conducting evictions. “Bayar, Bayar, Bayar” went viral this month and became an anthem of the student protesters who took to the streets against president Prabowo Subianto’s budget cuts and policies.

"We sincerely apologise to the chief of police and the police institution,” Muhammad Syifa Al Lufti, the band’s guitarist, said. “Actually, I created the song for police officers who violate the rules.”

He urged social media users to delete their recordings of the song and remove all videos featuring the lyrics.

Novi Citra Indriyati, the vocalist, said “if there is a risk in the future, it is no longer the responsibility of the Sukatani band”.

The song from the album Gelap Gempita was then removed from all streaming platforms, local media noted.

The song has become an anthem for protests against president Prabowo Subianto (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The apology and withdrawal of the song prompted a debate about freedom of expression in the country, with human rights groups and musicians condemning the alleged intimidation of the band.

Protesters in Bandung installed a large banner declaring “We are with Sukatani” and blasted the song in front of the city’s police headquarters, The South China Morning Post reported.

"Stay strong," Soleh Solihun, a radio announcer and public figure said in the comment section under the video posted on the rock duo's Instagram page."

“Censorship in the midst of a band speaking out against police corruption,” music critic Anthony Fantano wrote, “NOT GOOD."

The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association said: "It is strongly suspected that there are members of the Indonesian National Police who intimidated and forced them to apologise for the song 'pay the police'."

Usman Hamid, the Indonesia director for Amnesty International, said it would have been "impossible for the Sukatani group to make an apology video addressed to the chief of police and his staff" without pressure.

In the wake of the outrage, the Central Java Police launched an internal investigation against six officers for allegedly intimidating Sukatani to force them to retract their viral song.

“The officers are currently being questioned by investigators from the Internal Affairs Division. We will share the results of the investigation with the public once it is complete,” a police spokesperson said, according to The Jakarta Post.