INDONESIA: State Curbs Freedom of Expression amidst Non-stop Human Rights Violations in Papua

A Written Submission to the 50th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) strongly condemns all forms of police brutality against demonstrators who refused the New Autonomous Province (DOB) in Papua Island on 10 May 2022. Based on the monitoring and information we received, there were several actions of brutality such as forced dispersal, beatings, pursuits, shootings, and arbitrary arrests. A number of violence and human rights violations occurred in various areas such as Abepura and Heram. The objection of the new autonomous province voiced by the Papuan people is a legitimate and constitutional expression as regulated […]

INDONESIA: Withdraw police officers and stop the seizure of people’s living space in the Wadas village

An Open Letter from the Asian Legal Resource Centre to the Chief of National Police General of Police LISTYO SIGIT PRABOWOChief of National Police (KAPOLRI)Jl. Trunojoyo Number 3 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110INDONESIA Telephone: +62 21 384 8537, 726 0306Fax: +62 21 7220 669Electronic mail: info@polri.go.id Dear General: INDONESIA: Withdraw police officers and stop the seizure of people’s living space in the Wadas village The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the raid by the police and the criminalization of a number of residents, that occurred in the Wadas village. We witnessed thousands of officers who came down and conducted sweeping operation in the Wadas Village as an intimidating and excessive […]

INDONESIA: Urging inquiry and investigation related to the death of Mede Nurlatu at the mining area of the Botak Mountain

February 09, 2022 An Open Letter from the Asian Legal Resource Centre to the Chief of National Police General of Police LISTYO SIGIT PRABOWOChief of National Police (KAPOLRI)Jl. Trunojoyo Number 3 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110INDONESIA Tel: +62 21 384 8537, 726 0306Fax: +62 21 7220 669E-mail: info@polri.go.id Dear General: INDONESIA: Urging inquiry and investigation related to the death of Mede Nurlatu at the mining area of the Botak Mountain The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) previously received information from the Commission for the Disappearances and Victims of Violance (KontraS), a national human rights organization, related to the alleged crime of murder which was allegedly committed by personnel of the Police […]

INDONESIA: New Regulation on Special Autonomy for Papua must ensure protection for Indigenous Papuans

A Written Statement to the 48th Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) wishes to draw the attention of the UN Human Rights Council to the problem of amendment of Law on Special Autonomy for Papua. The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia has officially ratified the second amendment to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for the Papua Province to become a law. The decision was made at the Plenary Meeting of the Closing of Session Period V for the 2020-2021 Session Year. In total, 18 Articles underwent changes and two […]

INDONESIA: Pretrial detention under the Criminal Law Procedure needs serious reform, having caused torture and ill-treatment

A Written Statement to the 46th Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) wishes to draw the attention of the UN Human Rights Council to the problem in the existing Criminal Law Procedure which at present still regulates pretrial detention in Indonesia. Pretrial detention is still a serious problem for Law Enforcement in Indonesia. This is primarily because it is one of the main problems causing the practice of torture and other inhuman acts. It is certainly not in accordance with the standards of international Human Rights Law. Moreover, pretrial detention for a long period of […]

INDONESIA: Twenty two years of unresolved enforced disappearances while the offender enjoys impunity

A Written Submission to the 45th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) wishes to draw the attention of the UN Human Rights Council to the problem of enforced disappearances in Indonesia. After twenty-two years in office, the former dictator, President Suharto, stepped down in 1998. The cases of enforced disappearances against student activists occurred in 1997-1998. They remain unresolved. Ironically, the person who allegedly became the most responsible person remains free and enjoys impunity. Mr. Prabowo Subianto, former commander of the Special Armed Forces and former Presidential Candidate in the last election, currently becomes the […]

INDONESIA: Protection of peaceful assembly and association needs serious evaluation

A Written Submission to the 41st Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre Under the Indonesian Constitution (UUD) of 1945, the right to peaceful assembly and association is fully protected and guaranteed without any distinction. Moreover, Indonesia also has national laws that govern and ensure protection of peaceful assembly and association such as Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights, and Law No. 9 of 1998 on Freedom of Speech in Public. Further, the police also have an internal police regulation in favour of human rights such as the National Chief Police Regulation No. 8 of 2009 on the implementation of […]

INDONESIA: New Penal Code Bill must protect freedom of religion and belief

A Written Submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) wishes to inform the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about Indonesia’s existing blasphemy law and the recurrent criminalization of persons belonging to minority religions under its article 156a, as well as article 326 of the New Penal Code Bill. Article 156a of the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP) constitutes a serious problem to freedom of religion and belief in Indonesia. The article posits that, “By a maximum imprisonment of five years shall be punished any person who deliberately in public gives expression to feelings or commits an act. (a) which […]