Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the committee of International People’s Tribunal (IPT) in Klender, East Jakarta city, Jakarta, Indonesia. It relates to a forced termination of a Workshop by Police Officers, Military Personnel, a village head and thugs. They accused the committee and participants of disseminating Communist and Marxist ideology. They demanded that the committee have an official permit to organize such an event. According to Law No. 9 of 1998 concerning Freedom of Expression and Opinion in public areas, it is regulated and requires an official permit for a public event. Of note is: for a non-public event (an indoor event such as a workshop) no need of an official permit. It is obvious then that the Police and the Military misinterpreted the Law.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On August 1, 2017, an association of victims and their families of the 1965-1966 Massacre and human rights activists, organized a workshop. It concerned the results of the International People’s Tribunal 1965 in Klender, East Jakarta city. Unexpectedly the workshop was suddenly interrupted by police officers of East Jakarta Police Resort (Polres Jakarta Timur), military personnel of Military sub-district command (Koramil), a village head and thugs. They demanded the Committee stop the Workshop. They accused it of discussing Communist and Marxist ideology. They pointed out that the committee did not have a permit to organize the workshop.
Besides forcibly closing down the workshop, they also intimidated the owner of the Guest House, where the workshop took place. Police officers and military personnel intimidated and illegally examined the participants, mostly coming from other Provinces. They demanded the participants produce their invitation cards and the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the workshop. When some participants questioned who had reported the workshop to the police and the military, Law Enforcement became agitated. They said it was a secret. There was no need to name the person who reported the workshop to the police and the military.
According to Suara.Com, independent media made the following remarks. Police and the Military frequently engineer forced dissolutions against public discussions, movie screenings and cultural exhibitions concerning the Massacre of 1965-1966. Previously, in a series of public events related to the judgment of the International People’s Tribunal 1965, public discussions and exhibitions in some Universities were forcibly broken up by police and military.
Take for example, the event in Ambon, Moluccas Province held between 18-19 March 2017. The event was forcibly terminated and organizers intimidated by the police. Again, on March 31, the Dean of the Law School of Pahrahyangan University in Bandung, West Java province, organized a seminar and suffered police intimidation as a result. Similar cases of forced dissolutions took place in Surabaya, East Java Province and Yogyakarta Province between April and May 2017.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below. Ask them to ensure that the Government guarantees the rights to freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of peaceful assembly. These are regulated by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), of which Indonesia is a State party. The Chief of National Police and the Chief Police of Jakarta Metropolitan Police Office (Kapolda Metro Jaya) and the National Military Commander must promptly investigate, without undue delay, allegations of abuse of power.
The AHRC will write a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ………………..,
INDONESIA: Security Forces forcibly terminated Workshop on 1965 massacre
Names of victims : Committee organizer of IPT 1965 in Klender, East Jakarta, victims and families of victims of 1965 Massacre who took part in the workshop and the owner of the guest house.
Names of alleged perpetrators : Police Officers of East Jakarta Police Resort (Polres Jakarta Timur), Military Personnel of Military sub-district command (Koramil), head of village and thugs
Date of incident : 1 August 2017
Place of incident : Klender, East Jakarta city
I am writing to voice my deep concern relates to a forced termination of a Workshop by Police Officers, Military Personnel, a village head and thugs. They accused the committee and participants of disseminating Communist and Marxist ideology. They demanded that the committee have an official permit to organize such an event. According to Law No. 9 of 1998 concerning Freedom of Expression and Opinion in public areas, it is regulated and requires an official permit for a public event. Of note is: for a non-public event (an indoor event such as a workshop) no need of an official permit. It is obvious then that the Police and the Military misinterpreted the Law.
On August 1, 2017, an association of victims and their families of the 1965-1966 Massacre and human rights activists, organized a workshop. It concerned the results of the International People’s Tribunal (IPT) 1965 in Klender, East Jakarta city. Unexpectedly the workshop was suddenly interrupted by police officers of East Jakarta Police Resort (Polres Jakarta Timur), military personnel of Military sub-district command (Koramil), a village head and thugs. They demanded the Committee stop the Workshop. They accused it of discussing Communist and Marxist ideology. They pointed out that the committee did not have a permit to organize the workshop.
Besides forcibly closing down the workshop, they also intimidated the owner of the Guest House, where the workshop took place. Police officers and military personnel intimidated and illegally examined the participants, mostly coming from other Provinces. They demanded the participants produce their invitation cards and the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the workshop. When some participants questioned who had reported the workshop to the police and the military, Law Enforcement became agitated. They said it was a secret. There was no need to name the person who reported the workshop to the police and the military.
According to Suara.Com, independent media made the following remarks. Police and the Military frequently engineer forced dissolutions against public discussions, movie screenings and cultural exhibitions concerning the Massacre of 1965-1966. Previously, in a series of public events related to the judgment of the International People’s Tribunal 1965, public discussions and exhibitions in some Universities were forcibly broken up by police and military.
Take for example, the event in Ambon, Moluccas Province held between 18-19 March 2017. The event was forcibly terminated and organizers intimidated by the police. Again, on March 31, the Dean of the Law School of Pahrahyangan University in Bandung, West Java province, organized a seminar and suffered police intimidation as a result. Similar cases of forced dissolutions took place in Surabaya, East Java Province and Yogyakarta Province between April and May 2017.
Therefore, I respectfully request you to ensure that the Government guarantees the right to freedom of expression and opinion as well as the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, as regulated by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Indonesia is a State party to the Covenant. The Chief of National Police and the Chief Police of Jakarta Metropolitan Police Office (Kapolda Metro Jaya) along with the National Military Commander must ensure that allegations of abuse of power are promptly investigated.
I look forward to your prompt action in this matter.
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 Gatot Nurmantyo
Chief of Indonesian Military
Mabes TNI Cilangkap Jakarta Timur
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 84595576, +62 21 8459-5326
Fax: + 62 21 84591193
Email: ppidtni@puspen.tni.mil.id
5. General Pol. Drs. H.M. Tito Karnavian, M.A., Ph.D
Chief of National Police (KAPOLRI)
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3 KebayoranBaru, Jakarta Selatan 12110
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 384 8537, 726 0306
Fax: +62 21 7220 669
E-mail: info@polri.go.id
6. Police Inspector General Idham Azis
The chief of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command
Kapolda Metro Jaya
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 55, Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta 12190,
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 5234000
Fax: +62 21 5709250
Email: bidhumas@metro.polri.go.id, humas.pmj@gmail.com
7. Ms. Poengky Indarti
Commissioner of the National Police Commission
Jl. Tirtayasa VII No. 20
KebayoranBaru, Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 739 2315
Fax: +62 21 739 2352
E-mail: secretariat@kompolnas.go.id, skm@kompolnas.go.id
9. H. Bambang Soesatyo, S.E., M.B.A
Chairperson of the Commission III of The House of Representative
KetuaKomisi III DPR RI
Gedung Nusantara II DPR RI, Lt I
JalanJenderalGatotSubroto, Jakarta,
INDONESIA
Telp : +62 21 -5715566, +62 21-5715569, +62 21-5715864
Fax : +62 21 5715566
10. Mr. Abdul Haris Semendawai
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
11. Mr. Nur Kholis
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 Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
