Attacks on Climate Strike and Forum Highlight Threats to Civil Liberties in Indonesia

Amnesty International urges the Chief of Police to thoroughly investigate the masterminds and perpetrators behind these acts of intimidation and vigilantism, ensuring that decisive legal actions are taken against those responsible.

Amnesty calls for a comprehensive evaluation of the police’s performance under General Listyo Sigit Prabowo’s leadership by Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, emphasizing the need for the state to seriously uphold human rights.

Background

Recent peaceful protests in Jakarta on September 27 and 28 were disrupted by unknown individuals using repressive and intimidating tactics, with law enforcement present during both incidents.

The first attack occurred during the Global Climate Strike on September 27 at Menteng Park, where a non-partisan movement organized by youth focused on climate change. Videos monitored by Amnesty International revealed a group of unknown individuals seizing protest materials, including banners and sound equipment, while police nearby did not intervene despite participants pleading for assistance.

During the event on Jalan Sudirman, participants were again surrounded and harassed, leading to police demanding the protesters disperse, citing a lack of personnel, while the situation escalated.

A similar incident unfolded at the Forum Tanah Air discussion on September 28 at Hotel Grand Kemang, which aimed to facilitate dialogue between the Indonesian diaspora and national figures. The event was sabotaged by masked individuals who vandalized the venue and verbally assaulted participants. Shockingly, police present at the scene allowed the disruption to unfold and even appeared to socialize with the assailants afterward.

As reported on September 29, the Metro Jaya Police arrested five individuals, two of whom have been designated as suspects in the sabotage.