INDONESIA: Public Defenders under the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation face terror and intimidation

SAMPLE LETTER

INDONESIA : Public Defenders under the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation face terror and intimidation

Name of victim: Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Yogyakarta)

Names of alleged perpetrators: Allegedly committed by those who were disturbed by the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute / LBH Yogyakarta’s advocacy efforts in providing legal assistance to cases of the poor community, that were being handled.

Date of incident: The Early morning of September 18, 2021

Place of incident: Yogyakarta Province

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding information from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) regarding terror attacks in the form of a Molotov cocktail attack on the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute office (LBH Yogyakarta) on the early morning of Saturday, September 18, 2021. This attack is a form of terror attack against the community’s attempts for justice, and threats to legal aid organizations and legal aid providers who are also part of human rights defenders. The Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute is branch office of the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation. In total, the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation has 16 branch offices throughout Indonesia.

YLBHI strongly suspects that this attack was carried out by those who were disturbed by the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute / LBH Yogyakarta’s advocacy efforts in providing legal assistance to cases of the poor community that were being handled.

Whereas, only on September 7, 2021, did the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) declare such as the human rights defenders day. The protection of human rights defenders is also a concern of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The attack on the LBH Yogyakarta office was not the first threat or terror attack, it was a repeated attack on legal aid providers from the LBH as part of the YLBHI branch offices throughout Indonesia.

Previously, during this year, there were seven terror attacks and threats that were also faced by the LBH in various offices including : October 19, 2019, the Medan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Medan) Office was thrown a Molotov cocktail at; on March 24, 2021, two legal escorts of Pancoran residents from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) were arrested by the police; on April 23, 2021, the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Yogyakarta) lawyer was arrested while accompanying citizens of Wadas Purworejo Central Java; on April 24, 2021, two lawyers assistants of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute were arrested while accompanying solidarity actions for Myanmar in Jakarta; on August 2, 2021, the Director of the Bali Legal Aid Institute (LBH Bali) was reported on Makar’s allegations for providing legal assistance to Papuan students in Bali; on August 12, 2021, the Director of the Padang Legal Aid (LBH Padang) received a police summons for criticizing the actions of the West Sumatra Regional Police who stopped the investigation into alleged corrupt handling of Covid-19 funds on the grounds that State losses had been returned; and meanwhile, the Director of the Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) suffered a digital attack.

Between 2015 and 2021, in total, 20 public defenders under the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Services, in various regions, experienced arrests, two of them were criminalized and five others were threatened and summoned by the police.

Therefore, I respectfully urge you to ensure that the law enforcement agency must investigate terror attacks and intimidation against public defenders and the office of the Legal Aid Institute. The Government must ensure protection for human rights defenders and strengthen the legal standing and recognition of the human rights defenders in Indonesia.

Yours Sincerely,

……………….

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Joko Widodo
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No. 16
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3458 595
Fax: +62 21 3484 4759
E-mail: webmaster@setneg.go.id

2. Mr. Yasonna Laoly
Minister of Law and Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. 6–7
Kuningan, Jakarta 12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 525 3006, 525 3889
Fax: +62 21 525 3095

3. Dr. Mualimin Abdi SH., MH
Director General of Human Rights
Office of the Director General of Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. 6–7
Kuningan, Jakarta 12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 5253006
Fax: +62 21 5253095

4. General of Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo
Chief of National Police (KAPOLRI)
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 384 8537, 726 0306
Fax: +62 21 7220 669
E-mail: info@polri.go.id

5. Ms. Poengky Indarti
Commissioner of the National Police Commission
Jl. Tirtayasa VII No. 20
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 739 2315
Fax: +62 21 739 2352
E-mail: secretariat@kompolnas.go.id, skm@kompolnas.go.id

6. Mr. Bambang Soesatyo
Chairperson of the Commission III of The House of Representative
Ketua Komisi III DPR RI
Gedung Nusantara II DPR RI, Lt I
Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto, Jakarta,
INDONESIA
Telp : +62 21 -5715566, +62 21-5715569, +62 21-5715864
Fax : +62 21 5715566

7. Mr. Drs. Hasto Atmojo Suroyo, M.Krim.
Chairperson of the Agency for Victims and Witness Protection
Lembaga Perlindungan Saksi dan Korban (LPSK)
Jalan Raya Bogor KM. 24 No. 47-49, Susukan, Ciracas, RT.6/RW.1, Susukan, Ciracas, Kota Jakarta Timur, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 13750
Tel: +62 21 29681560
Fax: +62 21 29681551 / +62 21 29681557

8. Mr. Ahmad Taufan Damanik
Chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4-B
Jakarta 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 392 5227-30
Fax: +62 21 392 5227
E-mail: info@komnas.go.id

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Program
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)