Activists carry posters of aspirations while participating in the Global Climate Strike in Jakarta on Sept. 27, 2024. The action demanded the government make greater efforts to protect the environment. -Photo: Jakarta Post - Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): Human rights organisations have denounced the disbanding of multiple public discussions and peaceful protests by “unknown” individuals over the past week, and the police’s apparent indifference to the cases has raised suspicions that the force is aiding in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s efforts to hold on to power at the cost of civil liberties.
On Friday, an attack was launched on the Global Climate Strike, a peaceful demonstration held in Menteng Park in Central Jakarta that highlighted “seven deadly sins committed by the Mulyono regime”, with Mulyono referring to President Jokowi’s birth name.
Jokowi’s critics have increasingly been using the name, which Jokowi’s parents believed had been bringing him bad luck and sickness and so changed, in protest against the outgoing President’s apparent abuses of state power to solidify his political dynasty.
The protest was dissolved by a group of people shouting “disperse!” and seizing several items, such as mannequins, posters, banners and loudspeakers, said the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in a statement on Saturday.
“At the same time, the police who were on duty guarding the peaceful protest just stood there watching the disbandment,” the YLBHI continued.
The Forum Tanah Air (Homeland Forum), a dialogue on national issues involving members of the Indonesian diaspora and national figures, including vocal government critics Abraham Samad and Said Didu, experienced similar acts of aggression at the South Jakarta hotel where it was hosted.
The September Hitam (Black September) action was reportedly dispersed by the police themselves before it was to begin at the Dukuh Atas skate park in South Jakarta.
The demonstration sought to shine a spotlight on various human rights violations in the country’s history, especially those that occurred during outgoing President Jokowi’s decade in office.
In Pati, Central Java, and Tanah Wulu, South Sulawesi, residents involved in agrarian conflicts with two separate corporations were subject to similar repressive acts.
“In the past week, the public has witnessed yet another example of unprofessional conduct by the police, who seemed to condone the vigilantes’ violence [...] towards several peaceful demonstrations and lawful assemblies,” rights group Amnesty International Indonesia wrote in a press release on Monday (Sept 30).
It also mentioned a video showing police personnel shaking hands with and embracing the vigilantes’ representatives in front of the hotel hosting the Forum Tanah Air.
“[That makes us wonder] who exactly is the mastermind behind the attacks?” Amnesty added.
The organisation urged the National Police to investigate the acts of intimidation and impose heavy punishments on the perpetrators, as well as any police officers found to have turned a blind eye to such vigilantism, to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
“House of Representatives Commission III [overseeing legal affairs] should immediately evaluate the leadership of National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo [...] to show that the country is serious about protecting human rights as a whole,” it said.
Amnesty noted at least 255 instances of intimidation and 482 physical attacks aimed at human rights defenders, consisting of activists, academics, journalists and members of indigenous communities.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy for Society (ELSAM) noted that “the recent series of intimidation and violence against civil society further strengthens the hypothesis that the protection of civil liberties has continued to decline during President Jokowi’s two terms in office”.
It urged the police to thoroughly investigate the recent incidents to deter such vigilantism in the future.
It also called on the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to monitor the ongoing situation and asked the government to remain committed to protecting human rights, including the freedom of assembly, association and peaceful expression. - JAKARTA POST/ANN
