Statement at the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
UPR Outcome Adoption – Indonesia
Delivered by Cornelius Hanung
Thank you, Mr. President.
CIVICUS, YAPPIKA-ActionAid, and the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy note the Indonesian government’s engagement with the UPR process.
While we acknowledge that Indonesia supported 26 out of 31 recommendations related to civic space, our concerns remain on the state of civic and democratic space in the country.
It is extremely worrying that in recent years restrictive laws, such as the criminal defamation provisions in the Electronic Information and Transaction Law – a vague and overbroad law - have been systematically used to arrest, prosecute and punish activists, journalists, and government critics. Human rights defenders working on various issues, including on human rights in the Papua region, environmental rights, and business and human rights have been subjected to judicial harassment under this law.
Further, we are alarmed that the recently passed criminal code contains provisions that fall below international human rights laws and standards including criminalising online and offline defamation as well as banning insults against the State’s leaders and institutions. The same law also criminalises the holding of spontaneous and unauthorized protests.
Harassment, ill-treatment, torture, and violence conducted by security forces against protesters – many of them youth and students – have persisted throughout the last UPR review cycle. Victims of police violence, such as those during the protest against the Omnibus Job Creation Law and around numerous protests in Papua have yet to receive a remedy while the perpetrators enjoy impunity.
We call on the Indonesian government to seriously protect civic space and the safety and security of CSOs, human rights defenders, and journalists. These should include:
- Dropping all charges against activists for doing their human rights work;
- Reviewing and repealing existing restrictive laws, which include the EIT Law Societal Organizations Law and the new criminal code;
- Conducting thorough investigations of all incidents involving violence by the security forces against protesters, and
- Refraining from introducing further restrictions that will significantly harm civic space in the country.
We thank you.
Civic space in Indonesia is rated as "Obstructed" by the CIVICUS Monitor.