Human Rights News

News on the human rights and conflict situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Extra-judicial killing case in North Sulawesi in 2020- still many open questions

Case, Human Rights News / / 12 April 2023

It has been more than two years since the extrajudicial killing of a 22-year-old man named Exel Djunaidi (ED) by the police in North Sulawesi. The legal process against the perpetrator has not been carried out. ED died after being arrested by members of the Directorate of Drug Detection (Ditresnarkoba) of the North Sulawesi Regional Police on 13 September 2020 at his house in Lolah Satu Village, East Tombariri District, Minahasa. The family found ED dead with several gunshot wounds on his body, including one in the back of the head. The case was reported to the police on 14 September 2020. However, the police stopped the preliminary investigation of this case four months after the incident in January 2021.

Update law enforcement process – 18 military personnel suspected of collectively torturing six Papuans

Human Rights News / , / 19 October 2022

On 30 August 2022, military personnel tortured Mr Bruno Anonim Kimko and Mr Yohanes Kanggum inside a military post in the Bade Village, Mappi regency. Komnas HAM revealed that the military personnel had tortured four more victims prior to the incident on 28 August 2022. The four victims were identified as Mr Amsal Pius Yimsimen, Mr Korbanius Yamin, Mr Lodefius Tikamtahae and Mr Saferius Yame. As of the end of October 2022, the military police have identified eighteen suspects. All are members of the Raider 600/Modang infantry battalion.

Human rights violations should not go unpunished in the tragedy at Kanjuruhan Stadium – at least 131 people dead

Case, Human Rights News / / 12 May 2023

On 1 October 2022, the chaos that ended in tragedy took over the stadium after a football competition between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java. As a result of the incident, as of 5 October 2022, 131 people were reported dead and hundreds injured. Thirty-four people died inside the stadium; the remaining victims died in the hospital. This has been, so far, the darkest football tragedy in the history of Indonesian football. The police response to the crowd unrest has raised questions about this tragedy’s human rights violations.

Police arbitrarily arrest a man for social media post in Pekanbaru City, Riau Province

Case, Human Rights News / , / 11 May 2023

Masril Ardi, a man from Pekanbaru, Riau Province, was arrested by the Cyber ​​Team of the Metro Jaya Regional Police (Polda Metro Jaya) on 31 July 2022, at his home on Hang Tuah Street, Tenayan Raya District, Pekanbaru City. He was arrested for posting on his TikTok social media account. Masril posted about “Orang-orang pilihan Sambo” (Sambo’s chosen people). Masril gave the hashtag #BerantasJudiOnline (#fight online gambling) in the post. The Sambo case is a high-profile one. It has caught the public’s attention since July 2022. Inspector General Ferdy Sambo is the Head of the Professional and Security Division (Kadiv Propam Polri) and is the main suspect in the murder of his aide Brigadier J.

District Prosecutor demands a public apology from lawyer who criticised his Office on social media

Case, Human Rights News / / 9 November 2022

On 23 August 2022 the Head of Ternate District Prosecutor’s Office (Kajari), Abdullah Fatah, demanded that Maharani Carolina, a female lawyer in Ternate, apologise publicly for her posts on her Facebook account, Namaku Ranigila (my name is crazy Rany). The posts criticised the handling of the drug case involving Stephanus Peter Imanuel (Steven) by the Ternate District Prosecutor’s office and the North Maluku High Prosecutor.

Indigenous peoples in the Grime Nawa valley demand that Palm oil company PT Permata Nusa Mandiri stops operating

Case, Human Rights News / , / 12 April 2023

On 7 September 2022, the indigenous peoples in the Grime Nawa valley in Jayapura Regency again held a demonstration demanding the government stop activities and revoke the license of the palm oil plantation company, PT Permata Nusa Mandiri (PT PNM). The compnay has a location permit from 2011 and an environmental permit since 2014. PT PNM obtained a Hak Guna Usaha (HGU) permit in 2018, although the three-year Palm Oil Moratorium has been in effect.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Cilegon publicly reject the establishment of a Christian Church in Cilegon City, Banten Province

Case, Human Rights News / / 11 May 2023

On 7 September 2022, a group calling itself the Committee for the Rescue of Local Wisdom in Cilegon City held a demonstration against the construction of the Maranatha Batak Protestant Huria Christian Church (HKBP) in the Cikuasa neighbourhood, Geram Village, Grogol District, Cilegon City, Banten Province. They used the Decree of the Head of Serang II No. 189/Huk/SK/1975, dated 20 March 1975, as a juridical document to reject the establishment of a church. This decree reportedly regulates the establishment of houses of worship other than mosques in Serang Regency, now Cilegon City.

Journalist attacked by the Deputy Mayor’s family in Tidore Island

Case, Human Rights News / / 9 November 2022

A journalist, an editor of online media outlet cermat.co.id, and an official partner of kumparan.com, Mr Nurcholis Lamau, was intimidated and beaten by the family of the Deputy Mayor of Tidore Island, Mr Muhammad Sinen because of an editorial article he wrote criticising some of the Deputy Mayor public remarks. This incident occurred at Nurcholis’ house in Rum Balibunga Village, Tidore City, on 31 August 2022, not long after Nurcholis Lamau published the editorial titled “Breathing Coal Dust Get Rewards” on the online media cermat.co.id. The Dep

Regulation of the Minister of Communication and Informatics Nr. 5 of 2020 will aggravate restrictions on freedom of expression and data privacy protection in Indonesia

Human Rights News / / 5 September 2022

Since its inception in November 2020, the Regulation issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), Regulation Number 5 of 2020 on Private Electronic System Operators (PSEs), has been predicted to become a repressive policy instrument that violates human rights. This Regulation Number 5/2020 (Perkominfo) adds to the long list of threats to freedom of expression, the right to information, and privacy from the Indonesian government. Based on the Perkominfo 5/2020, the government announced in June 2022 that it would block tech companies that do not officially register as PSEs in the country until 20 July 2022, sparking public concern and criticism across the country.

Six soldiers and three civilians arrested for the alleged killing and mutilation of four Papuans in Timika

Case, Human Rights News / , / 11 May 2023

Military and civilian perpetrators have killed and mutilated four indigenous Papuans in Timika on 22 August 2022. The military police and the Timika regional police have launched separate investigations into the killing. As of 30 August 2022, the police had discovered body parts of the four victims, which the perpetrators packed in bags and dumped into the river. On 29 August the relatives carried out a peaceful protest demanding justice for the killing and enforced disappearance of Mr Irian Nirigi, Mr Arnold Lokbere, Mr Atis Tini, and Mr Limaniol Nirigi.

Eight Papuan activists found guilty of treason and sentenced to ten months for raising Morning Star Flag

Human Rights News / , / 23 January 2023

Eight Papuan activists: Malvin Yobe, Devio Tekege, Ambros Elopere, Maksi You, Paul Sode Hilapok, Luis Sitok, Ernesto Matuan, and Melvin Waine were arrested for raising the Morning Star flag in front of the sports hall (GOR) in Jayapura on 1 December 2021. The police charged the activists with Articles 106 KUHP on treason and Article 110 KUHP on criminal conspiracy against the state. Allegedly the police is unnecessarily prolonging the detention because the evidence against the eight activists is not sufficient to submit the case to the public prosecutor. On 30 January 2022, the police extended the period of detention for another 30 days. Prior to the arrest, Melvin Yobe was undergoing a pulmonary treatment program, while Sode Hilapok was suffering from hemorrhoids. Their health condition of Mr Malvin Yobe and Mr Paul Sode reportedly deteriorated in late January 2022. Mr Hilapok was once permitted to see a doctor while Mr Yobe has not yet received any medical treatment. The trial started at the Jayapura District Court in April 2022 but the first court hearing was adjourned. The trial has finally started on 17 May 2022.
On 29 August 2022, judges at the Jayapura District Court found Mr Melvin Yobe, 29, Mr Melvin Fernando Waine, 25, Mr Zode Hilapok, 27, Mr Devion Tekege, 23, Mr Yosep Ernesto Matuan, 19, Mr Maksimus Simon Petrus You, 18, Mr Lius Kitok Uropmabin, 21, and Mr Ambrosius Fransiskus Elopere, 21, guilty of treason as regulated under Article 106 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) (see photo on top, source: Jubi). Previously, the public prosecutor demanded a sentence of one year while the lawyers had pleaded for acquittal for the defendants.

Two indigenous women from Sihaporas Lamtoras injured due to joint forces intervention in customary land dispute in North Sumatra

Case, Human Rights News / / 24 April 2023

On August 22, 2022, hundreds of members of the Police from the Simalungun Police and members of the TNI from Kodim 0207 Simalungun carried out repressive actions against the Sihaporas indigenous community in Pematang Sidamanik district, Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra Province. The indigenous people of Sihaporas Lamtoras were protesting the business activities of PT Toba Pulp Lestari (PT TPL) in their ancestral territory and aimed to stop them until the land dispute is settled. The brutality of the joint security forces in Simalungun resulted in a woman being injured by a rubber bullet.