Indonesia’s UNHRC Presidency Faces Scrutiny Over Worsening Human Rights Record, Says Amnesty

JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS- Amnesty International Indonesia has cautioned against what it called “illusory pride” following Indonesia’s election as President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), warning that the prestigious position does not reflect genuine human rights progress at home or abroad.

Responding to the appointment, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said claims that Indonesia had “won” the presidency through merit or the work of the Ministry of Human Rights were misleading. He emphasized that the presidency rotates by region and that 2026 was the Asia-Pacific region’s turn, with Indonesia running as the sole candidate.

“It is inaccurate to say this position was seized or earned because of human rights achievements,” Hamid said, adding that the role should not be portrayed as evidence of domestic or international human rights success. According to him, such narratives obscure deeper structural problems in Indonesia’s human rights record.

Amnesty International highlighted a deteriorating domestic situation, noting that more than 5,000 people were arrested in 2025 in connection with protests, while at least 283 human rights defenders experienced attacks or intimidation. Hamid also criticized the Ministry of Human Rights for, in his view, justifying abuses, citing recent praise by the minister for the drafters of a revised Criminal Procedure Code that Amnesty believes threatens fundamental rights.

Indonesia’s international human rights standing was also questioned. Amnesty pointed out that Jakarta has frequently rejected recommendations from the UNHRC, including during the 2022 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), when Indonesia declined 59 out of 269 recommendations aimed at improving its human rights situation.