Uwazi

Ratusan aktivis Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia (PMII) cabang Kabupaten Pamekasan, Madura, melakukan demonstrasi di Kantor Pemkab Pamekasan, Kamis (25/6/2020).

Dalam aksinya, massa PMII Pamekasan menyuarakan perihal maraknya dugaan adanya ratusan tambang galian C ilegal di Kabupaten Pamekasan yang dibiarkan beroperasi.

Namun, terjadi insiden bentrok antara aktivis Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia (PMII) cabang Kabupaten Pamekasan, Madura dengan aparat kepolisian.

Berdasarkan informasi yang diterima TribunMadura.com, sebanyak 28 orang kini menjalani pemeriksaan oleh pihak Polda Jatim, Jumat (26/6/2020).

Tiga orang peserta demo mengalami luka-luka dan sempat menjalani perawatan di RSUD Dr H Slamet Martodirdjo Kamupaten Pamekasan.

Peserta demonstrasu yang mengalami luka di kepala adalah Ketua Rayon Sakera IAIN Madura, Fiki.

Kemudian, Wakil Ketua 1 Pengurus Cabang (PC) PMII Pamekasan, M Yasin mendapat luka memar pada bagian dada, dan Saiful Anam memperoleh luka memar pada bagian tubuh.

Adapun 20 orang lainnya merupakan anggota kepolisian dari Satuan Samapta Bhayangkara (Satbhara) Polres Pamekasan.

Kemudian, lima orang anggota Satpol PP Kabupaten Pamekasan serta tiga orang perwakilan mahasiswa atau massa PMII Pamekasan.

Kabid Humas Polda Jatim, Kombes Pol Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko mengatakan, bahwa pengusutan insiden ini telah dikomandoi langsung oleh Kabid Profesi dan Pengamanan (Propam) Polda Jatim Kombes Pol Puji Hendro Wibowo.

Artikel ini telah tayang di Tribunmadura.com dengan judul Aksi Demo PMII Pamekasan Tuntut Tambang Galian C Ilegal Ditutup Berujung Bentrok, 3 Orang Terluka, https://madura.tribunnews.com/2020/06/26/aksi-demo-pmii-pamekasan-tuntut-tambang-galian-c-ilegal-ditutup-berujung-bentrok-3-orang-terluka. Penulis: Luhur Pambudi Editor: Elma Gloria Stevani

On 25 June 2020, three students were beaten by the police for protesting against Government shortcomings on illegal mining sites in Madura, Indonesia.

YouTube removed the live webinar �Exploring non-homophobic religions� stating the content breached community guidelines. The International Federation of Journalists and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia urge YouTube to explain the removal of the live stream.

The Association of Journalists for Diversity (Sejuk) broadcast on June 24 was interrupted after 48 minutes by YouTube after users reported the webinar for breaching community guidelines. YouTube did not specify what section of the community guidelines Sejuk breached.

In response, Sejuk noted there was no reason to stop the live stream and it did not break the law. YouTube restored the vide on June 25 on Sejuk�s channel.

YouTube has a history of discriminating against the LGBTI community with claims from YouTubers saying the platform�s algorithm systematically demonetises LGBTI content. A study by the Sealow research group found YouTube automatically demonetised 33 per cent of videos with LGBTI content in the title. A spokesperson from YouTube rejected claims stating the algorithm discriminated against LGBTI content.

A joint statement signed by Sejuk, AJI, and several other Indonesian human rights organisations said YouTube contravened Indonesia�s constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

On 24 June 2020, the Association of Journalists for Diversity (Sejuk), had its webinar interrupted during YouTube live broadcasting, after users reported it to breach community guidelines in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dozens killed in rallies

More than 40 people were killed in August and September 2019 after anti-government protests turned violent in Papua and West Papua provinces, which make up the Indonesian half of New Guinea island.

The unrest was sparked by perceived heavy-handed and racist treatment of Papuan students by security personnel on Java Island. It prompted the government to send police and military troops to the Papua region and block the internet for three weeks.

Papuan activists and their supporters, inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, recently went on social media using the hashtag �PapuanLivesMatter� to denounce what they see as racist treatment across Indonesia of Papuans.

Protests broke out across the United States sparked by a video that showed a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of a black man, George Floyd, who said he could not breathe and later died, as other officers stood nearby.

On Wednesday, Amnesty International urged the Indonesian government to release the seven who were convicted in Balikpapan.

�We deeply regret the court�s decision. Although the sentences are much lighter than those demanded by the public prosecutors, we believe the prisoners of conscience should not have been arrested, jailed and prosecuted,� AI Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid said in a statement.

The Papua region was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-administered ballot known as the Act of Free Choice. Many Papuans and rights groups said the vote was a sham because it involved only about 1,000 people.

The provinces of Papua and West Papua make up one-fifth of Indonesia�s land mass but only 5.9 million of Indonesia�s 270 million people live there.

On 17 June 2020, seven detained minority rights defenders were sentenced to improsonment on treason charge for their role in 2019 Papuan protests by a court in East Kalimantan, indonesia.

A court in Indonesia has sentenced two indigenous farmers to eight and 10 months in prison respectively for stealing oil palm fruit from a plantation company that is itself accused of stealing their land.

On June 15, the Sampit district court in East Kotawaringin, in the Bornean province of Central Kalimantan, ruled Dilik Bin Asap from Penyang village guilty of harvesting palm fruit on land claimed by the villagers but cultivated by PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada (PT HMBP), an affiliate of the BEST Group. The court also found James Watt, a prominent land rights activist, guilty of ordering Dilik and other farmers to harvest the fruits.

As a result, the panel of judges sentenced Dilik to eight months in prison and James to 10 months in prison.

Another farmer, Hermanus Bin Bison, was arrested by police along with Dilik, and he died in custody, reportedly after being refused proper treatment for his ill health.

James said he wasn�t guilty and would appeal the verdict.

�But this fight isn�t my own,� he said. �It�s the Penyang villagers�, so I ask their approval first to determine the next step.�

Bama Adiyanto, a lawyer representing James and Dilik, said the judges had ignored the fact that ownership of the harvested land was still under dispute, and therefore the company didn�t have a case that the farmers had stolen from its property.

According to the Penyang villagers, PT HMBP has cleared forests and cultivated oil palms on land outside its concession, encroaching onto the community�s land. They have lodged complaints with multiple authorities, including the East Kotawaringin district government and council, and the national human rights commission, known as Komnas HAM.

In 2010, the district chief officially declared that PT HMBP was operating outside its concession and ordered it to cede the disputed land back to the community. The following year, the district council determined that the company had illegally planted on 1,800 hectares (4,450 acres), and echoed the district chief�s call to hand the land back to the villagers. Komnas HAM also called on the company to follow through.

But it wasn�t until October 2019 that PT HMBP acted. Even then, it said it would only relinquish control of a fraction of the disputed land � 117 hectares, or 290 acres � either completely or partially, offering to manage it in collaboration with the villagers. Ignored evidence

Bama said lawyers for the farmers had presented evidence in court that the harvested land wasn�t part of PT HMBP�s concession.

�The location is clearly outside the company�s [plantation area] and is owned by the locals,� he said. �In fact, it�s the company that�s in the wrong for cultivating on the location.�

Dimas Novian Hartono, the Central Kalimantan director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said one of the key pieces of evidence corroborating the villagers� claim was a copy of the outcome of an investigation by the government�s land agency, BPN, conducted in 2012.

But the judges said the evidence presented couldn�t be used in the trial because the charges against Dilik and James were criminal in nature, and not a civil lawsuit, and thus the question of the ownership of the land wasn�t at issue in this case.

�So [the judges] didn�t look deeper into the root of the case,� Dimas told Mongabay.

Also during the trial, neither PT HMBP nor the prosecutors could present evidence to back up the company�s claim that it owns the permit to the harvested land.

Kurnia Warwan, an agrarian law expert at Andalas University, said this fact alone should have been enough to compel the judges to acquit James and Dilik.

�That [verdict] is very surprising,� he said. �From the beginning, this theft case has already failed to meet the element [of a crime].�

Kurnia added that the plantation law used by the prosecutors in charging James and Dilik could also be wielded against PT HMBP, given that it expressly prohibits companies from cultivating on locals� lands without their consent.

James and Dilik, Kurnia said, were therefore victims of criminalization.

Walhi also highlighted irregularities in the case. Among them: the company filed a police report against Dilik and Hermanus at 7 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 17. Yet they only started harvesting the palm fruit � their alleged crime � at 9 a.m.

James was arrested on March 7 by the Central Kalimantan police in Jakarta, where he had gone to report the earlier arrests of Dilik and Hermanus to Komnas HAM and the witness protection program, or LPSK.

Walhi said the three farmers were charged shortly after the arrests.

�All three were even interrogated [by the police] without being accompanied by legal advisers and while they were exhausted after the trip to the Central Kalimantan police headquarters,� Walhi said.

Bama said he also had difficulties meeting the three farmers after the police detained them.

�We couldn�t meet them immediately [after the arrest],� he said. �The local police always had reasons to prevent us from meeting [them] and hearing their version of the story.�

In response to the verdict, PT HMBP legal manager Wahyu Bimo said the harvested land is part of the area that the company had offered to managed in collaboration with the villagers.

�That land is planned to be developed into a plasma plantation,� he said, using the local term for smallholder plots that supply larger plantations. �The cooperative is already established. Those who join the opposition [against the company], including those who harvested [the palm fruit], are not a part of the cooperative for the plasma [program].�

Bama said he and the other lawyers for James and Dilik would file an appeal against the criminal conviction of the farmers, as well as a civil lawsuit against PT HMBP over ownership of the land. Dimas from Walhi, who is part of the legal team, said they planned to get the buy-in of all the villagers in order to mount a solid lawsuit.

On 15 June 2020, Dilik Bin Asap, indigenoud peoples' rights defenders, and James Watt, land rights defender, were sentenced to jail term over false accusations of a palm oil company by a court in East Kotawaringin Regency, Indonesia.

Student journalists from the University of Lampung (Unila) were the targets of digital attacks on June 10, amid preparations to hold an online discussion on racism in Papua. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia condemn the digital attacks and call the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation immediately.

Writing for the student publication, Teknokra, two journalists, Chairul Rahman Arif and Mitha Setiani Asih received threats after they planned an online discussion on racial discrimination against Papuans. While Chairul received intimidating messages on WhatsApp, sending him his identity card and threats to his parents� security, the attacker sent Mitha dozens of food deliveries despite not ordering food and hacked Mitha and the publication�s Instagram and Facebook account.

One of the planned speakers for the discussion, Tantowi Anwari, who works for the Journalists Association for Diversity (Sejuk) and his wife also received threats.

AJI notes the same pattern of attacks, hacking a person�s social media account, sending anonymous messages and calls on WhatsApp and receiving unexpected food deliveries has been used many times against human rights and media freedom activists in Indonesia.

On 10 June 2020, Chairul Rahman Arif and Mitha Setiani Asih, students, were intimidated, doxxed ahead of a planned online discussion on Papua by unknown perpatrarors, likely State actors in Lampung, Indonesia.

Sebanyak empat orang pemuda diancam kurungan empat bulan penjara karena nekat menggelar aksi demonstrasi saat pemberlakukan Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar (PSBB) di Kabupaten Bengkalis, Riau. Keempat pemuda itu menggelar aksi 'Kamisan' terkait perkara Bongku.

Empat pemuda tersebut berinisial, RHS, 23, warga Kecamatan Bengkalis dan tiga orang warga Kecamatan Rupat berinisial, MHR, 21, MAA, 21 serta MH, 23.

"Memang benar, keempat pemuda telah ditetapkan sebagai tersangka karena menggelar aksi sebagaimana dari informasi yang beredar di media sosial ada undangan ajakan untuk melaksanakan aksi "Kamisan" terkait perkara Bongku, Kamis (21/5/20) lalu," Kepala Satuan Reskrim Polres Bengkalis, AKP Andrie Setiawan, Rabu, 27 Mei 2020.

On 27 May 2020, four community-based defenders were arrested by the police for staging a demonstration against a fellow community member imprisonment in Bengkalis Regency, Indonesia.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has urged the police to investigate the alleged doxing (dissemination of personal information) and intimidation of a journalist working for popular news outlet Detik.com following his report on President Joko �Jokowi� Widodo�s plan to monitor �new normal� preparation measures in malls in Bekasi, West Java.

�We demand the police investigate the alleged crime of doxing and threats of violence and murder against the journalist until the perpetrators are brought to court,� AJI Jakarta chairman Asnil Bambani and AJI Jakarta advocacy team head Erick Tanjung said in a joint statement on Thursday.

The harassment was apparently inspired by an article titled �Jokowi to lead the opening of several malls in Bekasi this afternoon amid pandemic� published by Detik.com on Tuesday.

Asnil said the journalist obtained all of the information from the Bekasi administration�s head of external publication.

On 26 May 2020, a media worker was victim of doxxing, death threat, online harassment by unknown social media users after reporting the president's plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions in Bekasi, Indonesia.

Ratusan massa penggarap lahan PTPN II yang menamakan dirinya Serikat Petani Simalingkar Bersatu (SPSB), melakukan aksi demo ke kantor Bupati Deli Serdang, Kantor DPRD dan kantor BPN Kabupaten Deliser�dang, Senin (25/11).

Koordinator aksi, Arus Wiyono menilai, pemerintah daerah seolah tinggal diam dalam masalah konflik agraria pada lahan yang mereka klaim sudah diusahai sejak 1951.

Untuk itu, massa panggarap yang terga�bung dalam SPSB dalam orasinya me�ngusung poster dan spanduk yang isinya menuntut menghentikan darurat agraria khususnya di Simalingkar dan Pancurbatu, Kabupaten Deliserdang. Aksi mendapat pengawalan ketat pihak kepolisian dan Satpol PP Deliserdang.

Usai melakukan aksi di Kantor Bupati Deliserdang, massa bergerak ke kantor DPRD Deliserdang guna mendesak anggota DPRD Deliserdang segera membuat reko�mendasi kepada Bupati Deliserdang untuk mengesahkan tanah tersebut untuk petani, sebagai tindak lanjut dari kerja DPRD Deliserdang sebelumnya.

Kabag Sekretaris Perusahaan PTPN II, Irwan yang didampingi Kabag Hukum Pertanahan PTPN II, Kennedy Sibarani dan Humas PTPN II, Sutan Panjaitan, serta Sastra SH Mkn dan Dr Ali Yusran Gea SH Mkn MH selaku Kuasa Hukum PTPN II mengatakan, mereka menghormati aksi demo yang dilakukan para petani walaupun pihak PTPN II telah memenangkan gugatan petani di PTUN dengan putusan NO 119/G/2018 yang menyatakan gugatan petani sebagai penggugat tidak diterima dan dikuatkan lagi dengan putusan PTUN Medan no.146/B/2019.

Pihak PTPN II menghimbau masyarakat yang telah menguasai lahan yang masih bersertifikat HGU No 171 Simalingkar A dengan luas 854.26 ha berakhir tahun 2034 agar secara sukarela mengembalikannya ke pihak PTPN II yang diberikan amanah untuk mengelola aset Negara.

On 15 May 2020, Ardiansyah Surbakti, community-based defender, was arrested by the police without warrant over alleged property damage claimed by a farming company in Medan, Indonesia.

Nasib Naas menimpa seorang wartawan media online bernama Ahmad Sahib warga desa Kediri kabupaten Lombok barat. Lantaran Berita yang ia tulis berimbas terhadap pemukulan yang di lakukan oleh seorang Kepala Dusun Karang Bedil Utara berinisial MN di Di Wilayah Desa Kediri induk, Kecamatan Kediri Kabupaten Lombok Barat.

Kejadian bermula ketika Ahmad Sahib menulis berita seorang nenek tua renta asal Dusun Karang Bedil Utara yang kehidupannya di bawah garis kemiskinan, dalam berita tersebut diterangkan bahwa nenek tua itu jarang mendapat bantuan sosial dari pemerintah terutama disinyalir minim perhatian dari pemerintah setempat.

Laman berita online yang dishare di beberapa akun media sosial warga itu VIRAL dan menuai protes serta tanggapan para netizen.

Di duga tidak terima dengan pemberitaan itu, oknum Kadus MN mendatangi rumah korban dan melayangkan bokem mentah ke arah wajah AS. Akibat hantaman ini, tulang hidung AS patah dan bersimbah darah.

Korban langsung di larikan ke Rumah Sakit Gerung untuk mendapatkan pertolongan.

Salah seorang warga Desa Kediri yang berada di Lokasi kejadian mengatakan, Pemukulan terjadi ketika korban berada di rumahnya sedang menunggu waktu berbuka puasa, lalu datang pelaku, kemudian terjadi cek cok mulut dan berakhir dengan pemukulan.

" kejadiannya tadi sebelum datang waktu berbuka puasa, karena kebetulan saya tetanggan sama korban, saya dengar mereka cek cok mulut, setelah saya datang, korban sudah berlumuran darah." Ungkap Radi salah satu tetangga korban.

Ditambahkan oleh Radi yang juga sebagai petugas puskesmas Kediri bahwa saat ini kondisi korban sangat kritis mengingat tulang hidungnya mengalami patah ringan, dan rahangnya juga mengalami luka sehingga berlumuran darah.

"Saat ini, pasien sedang dalam perawatan medis dan kami akan rujuk ke rumah Sakit Umum Patut Patuh Patju untuk mendapatkan perawatan medis lebih lanjut." Jelas Radi.

On 13 May 2020, Ahmad Sahib, media worker, was beaten by village chief for sharing the story of a poor elderly villager in need of assistance ignored by local authorities in Kediri, Indonesia.

Activists have condemned the arrest of a journalist in Indonesia for reporting on a land conflict between a palm oil company owned by a powerful tycoon and indigenous groups in Borneo.

Police arrested Diananta Putra Sumedi on May 4 and charged him under a controversial 2016 law on electronic communications. The law has frequently been used to bring charges against individuals, including journalists, on the nebulous grounds that their writings or statements �cause offense.� Diananta faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

In a statement, the International Federation of Journalists called on the Indonesian police to release Diananta, the chief editor of the news site banjarhits.id and correspondent for investigative outlet Tempo.

�IFJ has seen continued efforts to criminalize journalists in Indonesia,� it said. �The Press Council has a clear complaints mechanism for solving disputes, and this has been ignored. IFJ urges the police to release Diananta immediately, respect decisions made by the Press Council and ensure the safety of journalists in the country.�

The case stems from a news report published by banjarhits.id and syndicated by the bigger news site Kumparan on Nov. 19, 2019, under the heading �Jhonlin seizes land, Dayaks complain to the South Kalimantan Police.� It quoted indigenous Dayak people in the village of Cantung Kiri Hilir, South Kalimantan province, as being critical of the palm oil firm Jhonlin Agro Raya (JAR). The company is part of the Jhonlin Group owned by tycoon Andi Syamsudin Arsyad, popularly known as Haji Isam, part of the large ethnic Bugis community that migrated to Borneo from the island of Sulawesi.

The report quoted Sukirman, a Dayak member, as saying that the alleged land grabbing by JAR could trigger conflict between the Dayak and Bugis communities. Sukirman also said in the article that Haji Isam had treated the Dayak people unjustly.

Following the article�s publication, Sukirman filed a complaint with the police, saying he had never said the things attributed to him. He also said he didn�t want to inflame ethnic tensions and preferred to resolve the land dispute amicably or through the courts.

He also complained to the Press Council, which mediates disputes over news reporting. The council ruled on Jan. 9 that the article breached the journalistic code of ethics, and on Feb. 5 it recommended that Kumparan publish a right of reply and delete the original article, explaining why.

JAR also reported Kumparan to the Press Council, leading to the news site taking down three articles related to the land conflict between the company and the villagers, including the one quoting Sukirman. The other two were headed �For the sake of palm oil, Jhonlin displaces the land of people in three villages in Kotabaru,� and �Dayaks in all Kalimantan will occupy contested land in Kotabaru.�

A Google search for the land conflict now yields no media coverage of the case, except stories about Diananta�s arrest. JAR did not respond to an inquiry by Mongabay.

Yet despite the Press Council having already ruled on the case, the police pushed on with the criminal complaint. They refused to release Diananta after his lawyers argued that his family depended on him for their livelihood and cited the risk of keeping him in a crowded jail cell amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The police said Diananta might destroy evidence relating to the investigation if released. They also said he might publish more stories deemed �negative.� South Kalimantan police spokesman Mochammad Rifai said investigators had questioned all parties involved in the case, as well as experts, and concluded there were grounds for criminal charges.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian affiliate of the IFJ, condemned the continued detention in the wake of the Press Council�s resolution and the compliance of the respective media outlets.

�According to the memorandum of understanding signed by Press Council and the Chief of National Police, it is clear that every dispute related with journalism should be settled in the Press Council,� AJI said. �AJI condemns the arrest which shows the fact that police neglected the MoU and do not respect the press freedom.�

This isn�t the first time a journalist�s coverage of Haji Isam�s Jhonlin Group has landed them in hot water. In 2018, Jhonlin subsidiary PT Multi Sarana Agro Mandiri (MSAM) filed a police complaint against Muhammad Yusuf over at least 23 online news reports about a land conflict involving the company.

Parts of MSAM�s concession in Pulau Laut, a small island off the coast of South Kalimantan, are claimed by several other firms as well as by farmers who accuse the company of bulldozing their crops to make way for its plantation, which Yusuf reported on. Police arrested him on the same charges under the electronic communications act as Diananta. Yusuf died of a heart attack after more than a month in custody.

On 4 May 2020, Diananta Putra Sumedi, media worker, was arrested by the police for reporting on a land conflict between company and indigenous peoples in Kotabaru Regency, Indonesia.

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On 1 May 2020, Sahril Helmi, media worker, was assaulted by the village chief for reporting maladministration of COVID-19-earmarked budget in South Halmahera Regency, Indonesia.

Indigenous rights activists in Indonesia have condemned local authorities over the death in custody of a farmer accused of stealing palm fruit from a plantation company in Borneo.

Hermanus Bin Bison, 35, was among three indigenous farmers in the Bornean province of Central Kalimantan jailed since Feb. 17 following a complaint by PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada (HMBP), an affiliate of the BEST Group. The company itself stands accused of stealing the farmers� land, but has never been investigated.

Hermanus died shortly after midnight on April 26 at a hospital in East Kotawaringin district, Central Kalimantan, were he was transferred from detention after falling ill, including being unable to walk, on April 25. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 6 and 7.

Aryo Nugroho, the farmers� lawyer and head of the legal aid institute in Palangkaraya, the provincial capital, said Hermanus had suffered ill health throughout his time in detention but never given adequate treatment.

At a court hearing on April 6, in which Hermanus was confined to a wheelchair because of difficulty walking, his legal team asked that he be released to seek treatment. The court rejected the request. On April 9, a doctor who visited him in his jail cell, which he shared with several other inmates, found he had asthenia, a condition of abnormal physical weakness, and a fever of 39� Celsius (102� Fahrenheit), prompting fears he might have COVID-19 and risk infecting others in the overcrowded jail cell.

The lawyers once again petitioned to have him released, and this time the court acquiesced. At Murjani General Hospital in East Kotawaringin later that day, however, doctors said he had a simple cold and could be returned to jail. Back in custody, Hermanus�s condition continued to deteriorate, until he was hospitalized again on April 25. He died just hours later.

Aryo said the initial hospital check was inadequate. �The treatment only consisted of him being questioned. There was no checkup like blood tests or chest x-rays,� he said.

Dimas Hartono, the director of the Central Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said Hermanus had received better treatment from the doctor summoned to the jail than from the hospital. Despite his being sent to hospital with a high fever the first time, hospital staff didn�t record his temperature, Dimas said.

Police also failed to act on the doctor�s advice that Hermanus be held separately from the other detainees, instead keeping him in a small cell with several other people.

�The recommendation by the doctor who was summoned to the jail was not followed up on by either side,� Dimas told Mongabay.

Aryo said the actions by the hospital and the police raised questions about Hermanus�s death. �They said his condition was not an emergency, and yet he passed away two weeks later.�

Nur Hidayati, the national director of Walhi, said the way Hermanus was treated was in stark contrast to how politicians or businesspeople implicated in corruption were dealt with. Corruption convicts have been known to enjoy lavish lifestyles behind bars by bribing prison staff to get their cell upgraded, often to the level of a studio-type apartment. Graft convicts have also been documented abusing their right to hospital visits to actually go shopping or pursue other leisure activities on the outside.

Nur called on higher authorities to investigate the judges, prosecutors and police for allegedly hampering Hermanus�s access to adequate medical treatment. She also urged the government to address the root of the problem, which is the long-standing conflict between the villagers and the palm oil company.

�The agrarian conflict, which is the root cause of Hermanus� death, has to be solved immediately,� Nur said.

PT HMBP legal department staff Hendri declined to comment on the issue of Hermanus� detention, saying only that the firm would let the law take its course.

�For the case of the three people, because this is a legal matter, we entrust this case to the authorities,� he said.

Nur also called for Hermanus�s two co-defendants, James Watt and Dilik Bin Asap, to be released from detention as part of a wider government program to ease prison overcrowding in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. But Aryo said he was pessimistic the court would allow it, given that the judges haven�t let Hermanus�s death delay the ongoing trial.

The latest hearing took place on April 27.

�Our hope was to get the trial postponed out of respect for Hermanus�s death,� Aryo said. �But the judges went ahead with their decision, even though his body hasn�t been buried yet.�

On 26 April 2020, Hermanus Bin Bison, indigenous rights defenders, died in custody while under trial, after not receiving adequate healthcare in East Kotawaringin Regency, Indonesia.

The Indonesian government should immediately release at least 70 Papuan and Moluccan activists imprisoned for peacefully voicing their political views, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should adopt measures to ensure that police and prosecutors, especially in the eastern provinces, protect free expression rights in accordance with a 2018 constitutional court ruling.

From April 25 to 27, 2020, the police in Maluku arrested 23 activists, including at least two children, who allegedly participated in flag-raising ceremonies commemorating the 70th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Republic of South Moluccas (Republik Maluku Selatan, RMS) in 1950. The police indicated that seven of the activists will be charged with treason under article 106 of the criminal code, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

�Detaining and prosecuting Papuan and Moluccan activists for peacefully voicing their political views backtracks on the government�s commitments to free expression,� said Andreas Harsono, senior Indonesia researcher at Human Rights Watch. �These activists should never have been imprisoned, and detaining them in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic could be deadly.�

On April 25, three activists walked openly into the Moluccan police headquarters in Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, carrying the RMS flag. They shouted �Mena muria,� a popular salute among Moluccan people, traditionally used among boat rowers that means, �You go, I follow.� Police arrested the three men � Johanes Pattiasina, Simon Viktor Taihutu, and Abner Litamahuputty � as well as four other activists who unfurled the flags in some other towns.

On April 24, a court in Jakarta, Indonesia�s capital, convicted six Papuan activists for treason and sentenced them to between eight and nine months in prison. The five men and one woman were involved in a rally on August 28, 2019, outside the State Palace in Jakarta, during which they unfurled the Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence. The rally, involving more than 500 people, was held to protest racist attacks by the police against Papuan students in Surabaya, Java Island, on August 17.

The six activists are among 63 political prisoners in prison for peacefully expressing their political beliefs. On April 15, 2020, their lawyers submitted information on their cases to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Human Rights Watch, along with Amnesty International, Kontras, and other human rights groups, have for more than a decade pressed the Indonesian government to release political prisoners.

In May 2015, President Joko �Jokowi� Widodo pardoned and released five Papuan prisoners from Abepura prison, Jayapura. He publicly promised to release all Moluccan and Papuan prisoners, and said he wanted �to stop the stigma of conflict in Papua and to create a sense of peace.� His administration gradually released nearly 100 political prisoners, mostly by reducing sentences.

In January 2018, Indonesia�s Constitutional Court rejected a judicial review to annul the criminal code�s six treason articles, including article 106, but found that those articles were often disproportionally applied against political activists raising the Morning Star flag in Papua and the RMS flag in the Moluccas Islands.

President Jokowi should drop all charges for peaceful political expression, order the release of all political prisoners, and review the failure of law enforcement officers, especially in the Moluccas Islands and Papua and West Papua provinces, to follow the Constitutional Court ruling, Human Rights Watch said.

Concerned governments, including the United States, European Union member countries, and Australia, should raise the situation of Indonesia�s political prisoners in bilateral meetings. The Polish government should raise concerns about the treatment of Jakub Skrzypski, a Polish national who was arrested in West Papua and sentenced in May 2019 to five years in prison under article 106.

Human Rights Watch takes no position on claims to self-determination in Indonesia or in any other country. Consistent with international law, however, Human Rights Watch supports the right of all individuals, including independence supporters, to express their political views peacefully without fear of arrest or other forms of reprisal.

�President Jokowi succeeded in releasing many political prisoners in his first five years in office,� Harsono said. �Jokowi�s second term should not produce as many political prisoners as his predecessor. These cases are a bitter betrayal of his government�s prior policy and contrary to a top court ruling.�

On 25 April 2020, seven HRDs were arrested by the police while peacefully protesting for self-determination in Ambon, Indonesia.

An Indonesian court sentenced six activists to prison on Friday after finding them guilty of treason for participating in a protest last year calling for a self-determination referendum in the restive Papua province.

Surya Anta, Ambrosius Mulait, Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni, and Arina Elopere were ordered to serve nine months, while Isay Wenda was handed an eight-month prison term during a hearing at the Central Jakarta district court via video link to observe social distancing measures imposed to suppress the COVID-19 pandemic.

�The defendants are guilty of treason," Judge Agustinus Setya Wahyu Triwiranto said during the sentencing.

The activists were arrested in August 2019 after taking part in a rally in Jakarta. Prosecutors accused them of demanding a referendum on self-determination for Papua and waving separatist Morning Star flags in front of the presidential palace.

All but one of the activists are native Papuans.

The protest was among many held across the country amid unrest in Papua triggered by perceived ill-treatment of Papuans on Java island.

Barring an appeal by prosecutors, who had sought an 18-month sentence for each of the activists, Isay Wenda could be released next month, while the rest are expected to walk free in June.

�But I can�t be sure, because it [the release] depends on the prosecutor. If they appeal, it will be different,� Tigor Hutape, a lawyer for the activists, told BenarNews.

�We have not yet communicated with the defendants,� he said. �We will decide later whether to appeal or accept the verdict.�

More than 40 people were killed in the unrest between August and September 2019 in Papua and West Papua provinces, which make up the Indonesian half of New Guinea island.

Jakarta has blamed the separatist United Liberation Movement of West Papua and the National Committee for West Papua for the uprising that started in mid-August, when thousands joined protests calling for a vote on self-determination.

Police arrested dozens of pro-referendum Papuan activists in the wake of the unrest, which prompted authorities to send thousands of additional police and troops to the region.

Human rights groups have urged President Joko �Jokowi� Widodo�s government to release the detainees, whom they described as political prisoners, saying they were at risk of contracting COVID-19 during the pandemic.

On Friday, London-based human rights group TAPOL called for their immediate release, citing statements from Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, who previously said political prisoners should be among the first to be released amid the pandemic.

�We therefore reiterate the urgency of releasing all political prisoners currently detained in overcrowded prisons where it is impossible to practice physical distancing,� the group said in a statement.

Indonesia reported 436 new infections on Friday, taking its cumulative tally to 8,211, with 42 new fatalities, bringing the country�s death toll to 689.

Earlier this month, more than 60 political prisoners, mostly the Papuan activists detained over pro-independence protests, wrote a letter to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and three U.N. special rapporteurs, asking for help in urging Indonesia to release them unconditionally.

�Not only is their detention illegal, it also threatens their safety,� said Jennifer Robinson, one of the human rights lawyers representing them.

The Papua region was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-administered ballot known as the Act of Free Choice. Many Papuans and rights groups said the vote was a sham because it involved only 1,000 people.

The provinces of Papua and West Papua make up one-fifth of Indonesia�s land mass but only 5.9 million of Indonesia�s 250 million people live there.

Tensions rose in Papua in December 2018 after separatist rebels allegedly killed 19 members of a crew building a highway in Nduga regency. Authorities immediately sent more than 750 soldiers and police to the region after the killings.

On 24 April 2020, six indigenous rights defenders were sentenced to jail term by the Central Jakarta district court for organising a peaceful protest in 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

A public coalition identified as the �Koalisi Tolak Kriminalisasi dan Rekayasa Kasus� has pressed President Joko �Jokowi� Widodo to release Ravio Patra from prison after the member of the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee (OGP SC) was arrested on late Wednesday night, April 22.

�Stop the criminalization process and stop all acts that attempt to silence other citizens,� said the coalition�s representative and SAFEnet executive director Damar Juniarto in today�s press release.

According to Damar, the police�s legal standing behind Ravio�s arrest is flawed as he said that Ravio recalled his Whatsapp had been hacked.

�When Ravio turned on his Whatsapp, a notice appeared 'You've registered your number on another phone' when he checked his SMS inbox, there was a request for an OTP to be sent,� Damar Juniarto explained.

The message that became central in his arrest read; �Crisis has arrived, time to burn! We must gather and partake in the national simultaneous looting on April 30. All the stores nearby are free to be looted.�

Damar said that Ravio immediately reported the incident to Whatsapp, which was confirmed by the chat app�s head of security that Ravio�s account had been hacked.

He encouraged police to investigate the hacker who used Ravio�s Whatsapp account to send the provocative message instead of arresting Ravio. �The motive behind this is plotting Ravio Patra as the person initiating public unrest,� he said.

On 22 April 2020, Ravio Patra, NGO worker, had his WhatsApp hacked, and was later arrested by the police based on text messages sent by the hacker in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Polisi membubarkan pertemuan di Kantor Walhi Yogyakarta terkait pembahasan kegiatan sosial bagi masyarakat yang terdampak pandemi virus corona atau Covid-19, Sabtu (19/4) kemarin.

Kadiv Advokasi dan Kawasan Walhi Yogyakarta, Himawan Kurniadi, mengatakan pertemuan yang digelar sekitar pukul 19.20 WIB itu membahas soal evaluasi pembagian bantuan pangan dan makser bagi masyarakat.

Namun, di tengah pertemuan, ketua RT, pihak kelurahan, anggota Babinsa hingga anggota Koramil Kecamatan Kotagede mendatangi lokasi dan meminta pertemuan dibubarkan.

"Karena bertentangan dengan Surat Edaran Wali Kota No: 440/820/SE/2020 Tentang Pencegahan Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19)," kata Himawan dalam keterangannya, Minggu (19/4).

Padahal menurut Himawan, pertemuan itu sudah dilakukan berdasarkan SOP pencegahan virus corona. Setelah berdiskusi, akhirnya disepakati pertemuan bisa dilanjutkan dengan jumlah peserta berkurang enam orang dan harus selesai pada pukul 22.00 WIB.

Namun, diungkapkan Himawan, sekitar pukul 20.55 WIB, seseorang yang mengaku dari Polsek bersama enam rombongan dengan mobil linmas dan sekitar 40 orang tak dikenal masuk ke dalam ruang pertemuan.

"Memberikan intimidasi, teriak-teriak dengan caci maki, bahkan mengajak beradu fisik. Enam peserta pertemuan tetap tenang, menjaga jarak dan memutuskan untuk meninggalkan tempat untuk menghindari tindakan kekerasan," tutur Himawan.

Walhi menyesalkan aksi pembubaran tersebut. Sebab, dikatakan Himawan, kegiatan sosial yang dilakukan untuk membantu masyarakat di tengah pandemi Covid-19 seharusnya diproteksi, bukan malah direpresi.

"[Menuntut] pemerintah pusat, pemerintah daerah, kepolisian, militer, dan aparat lain menghentikan seluruh tindakan represif terhadap inisiatif-inisiatif baik rakyat dengan kedok Covid-19," ucap Himawan.

Sementara itu, Kapolsek Kotagede Kompol Dwi Tavianto membantah melakukan pembubaran kegiatan pertemuan tersebut. Ia menyebut pihak kepolisian saat itu hanya sekadar memantau sebab ada keramaian warga.

"Enggak ada pembubaran," kata Dwi kepada CNNIndonesia.com, Minggu (19/4).

Dwi menuturkan pertemuan yang digelar di kantor Walhi itu tidak diberitahukan kepada pihak RT setempat. Alhasil, pihak RT pun mendatangi lokasi.

Menurut Dwi, siapapun yang menggelar pertemuan harus lebih dahulu memberitahukan ke pihak lingkungan setempat. Apalagi, saat ini sedang terjadi wabah virus corona.

"Bukan di tengah pandemi saja, kalau ada kegiatan rapat segala macam ya lingkungan sekitar dikasih tahu, ketentuannya kan gitu ya," tutur Dwi.

On 19 Aprl 2020, WALHI Yogyakarta, environmental NGO, was visited by police and military who disbanded an event it organised to distribute free masks in response to COVID-19 pandemic in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

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On 27 February 2020, nine students were arrested by the police for conducting a peaceful protest against an allegedly unfair court ruling over a racism incident in Sorong City, Indonesia.

Senin pagi menjelang siang, salah satu pengurus Konfederasi Kongres Aliansi Serikat Buruh Indonesia (KASBI) Darto dikagetkan dengan kedatangan sekitar 10-15 orang ke sekretariat di Cipinang, Jakarta Timur. Mereka tampak berumur 15-17 tahun dan berteriak-teriak agar KASBI dibubarkan karena menolak omnibus law. �Ada masa tidak jelas menyuarakan bubarkan KASBI. KASBI menghambat omnibus law dan antek asing,� teriak para pendemo seperti dituturkan Darto. Tidak seperti aksi buruh yang tampak sering dihambat meski sudah mengajukan surat pemberitahuan, aksi para pendemo kali ini tampak begitu lancar dan cepat meski mereka mereka tidak melayangkan pemberitahuan. setelah beberapa lama, mereka bergesar dan mengatakan akan melanjutkan unjuk rasa di Kementerian Hukum dan HAM menuntut pembubaran KASBI.

Berikut kronologi lengkap teror ke KASBI

Tak lama setelah aksi, anggota-anggota KASBI segera merapatkan barisan. Tidak hanya itu, solidaritas juga datang dari berbagai organisasi, termasuk dari Konfederasi Persatuan Buruh Indonesia dan SGBN.

Konfederasi KASBI melihat aksi yang tanpa surat pemberitahuan, mendadak, dan tampak intimidatif ini sebagai sebuah pesan teror. �Ini ada kaitannya dengan apa yang sedang dilakukan KASBI bersama Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat untuk menolak omnibus law RUU Cilaka di mana kita tahu proses pembuatannya sangat misterius, dipaksakan, tidak demokratis dan kita dipaksakan untuk menerima RUU Cilaka,� kata Ketua Umum KASBI Nining Elitos pada Senin, 17 Februari 2020.

KASBI menjelaskan bahwa aksi penolakan bersama Gerakan Buruh Bersama Rakyat dan Fraksi Rakyat Indonesia itu dilatari rancangan undang-undang yang menyengsarakan rakyat. Pasalnya, beleid itu akan mempertinggi kerusakan lingkungan dan memiskinkan buruh. Berbagai perlindungan buruh di UU 13/2003 tentang Ketenagakerjaan bakal direvisi. Alhasil, kontrak dapat dilakukan tanpa batasan waktu dan jenis pekerjaan, upah minimum kabupaten/kota dihapus, upah akan diganti per jam, dan pengusaha tidak diwajibkan membayar cuti hamil, haid, dan menikah. Cuti besar juga akan dihapus dan parahnya tidak ada sanksi pidana bagi pengusaha pelanggar hukum. �Yang akan mendapat kerugian penderitaan dan kesengsaraan itu rakyat Indonesia. Bak buruh pemuda pelajar tani, lingkungan, masyarakat adat dan nelayan,� imbuh Nining.

Terkait aksi teror tersebut, KASBI menyatakan mengecam aksi tersebut. �Dalam ruang demokrasi seharusnya kebbeasan menyampaikan pendapat tentang persoalan rakyat kritik berbagai regulasi dan kebijakan seharusnya didengar, bukan kemudian membuat teror bagi rakyat yang tengah berjuang,� serunya.

KASBI juga mengaskan bahwa mereka tidak akan mencabut tuntutan melawan omnibus law RUU Cilaka. Alih-alih, teror tersebut malahan akan semakin membakar perlawanan rakyat. �Hentikanlah rezim melakukan cara-cara seperti ini, bukan membuat rakyat semakin lemah, tapi akan semakin menguatkan kekuatan konsolidasi rakyat,� tegasnya.

Tingkatkan Kewaspadaan dan Persatuan

Setelah kejadian itu, Konfederasi KASBI akan meningkatkan pengamanan. KASBI akan menugaskan barisan pelopor BARA KASBI untuk berjaga secara bergantian. Tidak hanya KASBI, organ-organ lain yang kritis terhadap omnibus law RUU Cilaka juga dinilai mesti meningkatkan pengamanan.

Selain mengecam aksi teror di sekretariat KASBI, Konfederasi Persatuan Buruh Indonesia (KPBI) juga memperingatkan bahwa aksi teror ini mungkin baru permulaan. Ketua Umum KPBI Ilhamsyah menyebutkan pola teror serupa pernah dilancarkan ketika pemerintah dan DPR getol menupayakan revisi UU KPK yang melemahkan pemberantasan korupsi. Ketika itu, bahkan gedung KPK sempat dilempari batu dan dirusak ketika banyak pegawainya bekerja. �Mereka tidak akan berhenti sampai tujuan mereka terpenuhi,� kata Ilhamsyah.

Selain itu, KPBI juga menyerukan agar berbagai gerakan perlu meningkatkan persatuan. Sebab, serangan terhadap gerakan-gerakan yang menolak omnibus law RUU Cilaka mungkin akan kembali terjadi. Gerakan rakyat juga perlu memperkuat konsolidasi agar perjuangan menolak omnibus law RUU Cilaka berhasil.

Sebelumnya, KASBI bersama GEBRAK dan Fraksi Rakyat Indonesia lantas menyuarakan penolakan terhadap RUU Cilaka. Pada 13 Januari 2020 GEBRAK melancarkan aksi ke DPR RI menolak rancangan undang-undang yang pembahasan draftnya berlangsung secara misteris itu.

KASBI bahkan menolak untuk masuk dalam Tim Koordinasi Pembahasan dan Konsultasi Publik Substansi Ketenagakerjaan RUU Cipta Kerja. Alasannya, ada itikad tidak baik ketika buruh tidak dilibatkan dari awal dan terkesan tampak sebagai pemberi stempel bagi usulan pemerintah. Selain KASBI, kelompok buruh yang menolak bergabung dalam tim tersebut adalah Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia.

On 17 February 2020, Konfederasi Kasbi, a labour workers organisation got intimidated in front of its office by unknown persons for drawing criticism towards a new bill in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Police in Indonesia have jailed three indigenous farmers for allegedly stealing oil palm fruit from a plantation company that is itself accused of stealing their land.

Police in East Kotawaringin district, in the Bornean province of Central Kalimantan, arrested Dilik Bin Asap and Hermanus Bin Bison from Penyang village on Feb. 17. They were accused of harvesting palm fruit on land claimed by the villagers but cultivated illegally by PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada (HMBP), an affiliate of the BEST Group.

On March 7, police arrested prominent land rights activist James Watt in Jakarta, where he had gone to report the earlier arrests to the national human rights commission, known as Komnas HAM, and the witness protection program, or LPSK. They flew him back to Central Kalimantan and charged him with orchestrating the alleged theft by Dilik and Hermanus.

The case has sparked outrage among indigenous rights activists. In the wake of the arrests of Dilik and Hermanus, community members blocked the road leading to PT HMBP�s plantation. Police arrested 11 of them before releasing them shortly after.

The case is the latest in a litany list of land disputes between forest communities and corporate concession holders, with authorities almost invariably siding with the latter each time.

According to the Penyang villagers, PT HMBP has cleared forests and cultivated oil palms on land outside its concession, encroaching onto the community�s land. They have lodged complaints with multiple authorities, including the East Kotawaringin district government and council, and Komnas HAM.

In 2010, the district chief officially declared that PT HMBP was operating outside its concession and ordered it to cede the disputed land back to the community. The following year, the district council determined that the company had illegally planted on 1,800 hectares (4,450 acres), and echoed the district chief�s call to hand the land back to the villagers. Komnas HAM also called on the company to follow through.

But it wasn�t until October 2019 that PT HMBP acted. Even then, it said it would only relinquish control of a fraction of the disputed land � 117 ha, or 290 acres � either completely or partially, offering to manage it in collaboration with the villagers.

The recent arrests stem from this statement, according to Dimas Novian Hartono, the Central Kalimantan director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi): the community took the statement at face value, he said, and believed the land was theirs once again to harvest from. But PT HMBP saw it differently and filed criminal charges against Dilik and Hermanus.

The Central Kalimantan police have denied the arrests are directly linked to the land dispute, characterizing the charges as purely criminal.

But activists call it a blatant attempt by the company to quash opposition to its land grab, citing among other irregularities the late-night arrest of James Watt as he attempted to report the matter to higher authorities in Jakarta. James was previously featured by Mongabay and The Gecko Project in a joint investigative report into the palm oil licensing practices of Darwan Ali, the former head of Central Kalimantan�s Seruyan district.

Arif Nur Fikri, the head of advocacy at the independent NGO Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said the police should have looked at PT HMBP�s complaints of theft in the wider context of the land dispute.

�This agrarian conflict has received recommendations [in support of the community] from Komnas HAM, the district council, the district chief, and the district land agency,� Arif said.

Arie Rompas, from Greenpeace Indonesia, said the case was another classic example of how corporations wielded the police to crack down on critics.

�The problem is that the police aren�t carrying out their function of upholding justice,� he said. �They worked in response to a complaint filed by the company, which has clearly engaged in illegal activities� by planting outside its concession.

Walhi�s Dimas said his office would continue pressing for the release of and dropping of criminal charges against James, Dilik and Hermanus. A truce with the company is not an option, he added.

�Making peace is the same as acknowledging the presence of the company, which has robbed the people of their land,� Dimas told Mongabay.

On 17 Febrary 2020, Dilik Bin Asap and Hermanus Bin Bison, Indigenous peoples rights defender, were arrested by the police on charges lodged by PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada palm oil company in Penyang Village, Indonesia.

Security PT Nusa Wana Raya (NWR) diduga melakukan intimidasi dan kekerasan terhdap wartawan di lahan plasma warga di Desa Gondai, Kecamayan Langgam, Pelalawan, Riau. Akibatnya wartawan MNC Media Indra Yoserizal terluka akibat ditendang dan dipukul securiti.

"Saya ditendang, dipukul hingga diseret," kata Indra Yoserizal, reporter MNC Media kepada pers di lokasi kejadian, Rabu (5/2/2020).

Tak hanya dianiaya, perangkat kerja berupa kamera milik Indra juga dirampas dan sampai sekarang belum dikembalikan oleh security NWR.

Atas peristiwa itu Indra berniat melaporkan insiden itu ke kepolisian dan meminta perlindungan ke Dewan Pers.

"Saya berniat melaporkan kejadian ini ke Polres Pelalawan atau Polda," katanya.

Kejadian berawal saat Indra datang bersama rekan media lainnya pada pukul 10.00 WIB ke lokasi eksekusi lahan di Gondai.

Saat itu situasi sedang memanas, antara warga dengan security perusahaan NWR yang saling lempar batu hingga kemudian terjadi pengejaran oleh ratusan security NWR terhadap warga.

"Ketika itu saya sedang mendokumentasikan peristiwa, berlindung di areal perkebunan. Sudah saya jelaskan saya wartawan, tapi tetap dipukul dan kamera dirampas, dirusak juga," kata Indra.

Indra menjelaskan, saat itu dia sedang merekam aksi pemukulan terhadap sejumlah warga yang berlarian.

Indra menjelaskan, setelah sempat dianiaya, pihaknya juga sempat disekap oleh segerombolan security hingga diintervensi.

Dikatakannya, sampai sekarang kameranya belum dikembalikan, padahal ada rekaman peristiwa pada saat itu.

Humas Polres Pelalawan Iptu Edy yang ditemui di lokasi mengakui prihatin atas insiden yang menyebabkan luka jurnalis MNC Media.

"Kami sangat menyayangkan kejadian inj, dan saya berharap teman-teman pers lebih hati-hati dalam menjalankan tugasnya," kata dia.

Ketika peristiwa bentrok berlangsung, aparat kepolisian belum berada di lokasi kejadian.

Ratusan personel polisi baru tiba di lokasi setelah insiden bentrok mereda, namun hingga siang pukul 11.45 WIB situasi di Gondai masih mencekam.

Ratusan masyarakat terus berdatangan dengan membawa benda tumpul dan benda tajam.

"Kami tidak takut mati untuk mempertahankan kebun yang menjadi matapencaharian kami," kata Siti, seorang ibu pemilik kebun plasma di Desa Gondai.

On 5 February 2020, Indra Yoserizal, media worker, was beaten and had his camera stolen by the security personnel of PT Nusa Wana Raya palm oil Company, while reporting the alleged eviction perpetrated against residents in Gondai Village, Indonesia.

Aksi unjuk rasa mewarnai kunjungan kerja Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) di Bengkulu, Rabu (05/02/2020). Massa aksi Aliansi Mahasiswa Berdaulat yang turun ke jalan itu bahkan sempat terlibat kericuhan dengan aparat.

Kericuhan itu dipicu silang pendapat antara petugas keamanan dengan mahasiswa terkait legalitas unjuk rasa. Versi polisi aksi itu belum didahului dengan surat pemberitahuan. Sementara mahasiswa menyatakan mereka sudah melayangkan surat itu pada tanggal 3 Februari 2020.

Puncaknya terjadi setelah proses negosiasi buntu. Aparat bergerak guna membubarkan massa. Sedang mahasiswa melawan dengan bertahan.

Kericuhan pun pecah. Aksi di seberang SMPN 3 Kota Bengkulu yang semula kondusif itu seketika berubah refresif.

Atas insiden itu, M Fauzan Hanif, Presiden Mahasiswa UNIB mengaku sangat kecewa. Menurut dia, apa yang dilakukan mahasiswa adalah bentuk cinta dan kepedulian menyikapi berbagai persoalan bangsa saat ini.

�Kami ingin menyampaikan aspirasi secara langsung karena banyaknya permasalahan yang terjadi saat ini di negara kita tercinta kepada presiden. Namun yang terjadi ada upaya pembatasan dan tindakan-tindakan yang tidak selayaknya kami dapatkan oleh pihak aparat. Perjuangan ini belum usai!� tegas Fauzan.

Senada, Wakil Presiden Mahasiswa UMB, Puji Hendri Julita Sari, mengaku sanggat menyanyangkan tindakkan referensif aparat yang membatasi dan menghalangi aksi mahasiswa yang ingin menyampaikan aspirasi rakyat.

�Pada hari ini sejatinnya suara mahasiswa dibungkam. Baru beberapa menit massa aksi menyampaikan aspirasi di mimbar bebas justru dibubarkan secara paksa dan referensif oleh pihak keamanan. Kami datang dengan argumentasi, tidak selayaknya dijawab dengan kekerasan dan tindakan referensif aparat,� protes Puji.

Kericuhan mahasiswa versus aparat itu sendiri sempat diwarnai penangkapan empat aktivis mahasiswa. Mereka sempat ditahan sebelum dilepaskan dan kembali bersama dengan rekan-rekannya.

Empat aktivis itu adalah Kelvin Aldo, Elekusman, Abdullah, dan Aditya Andala Pratama.

�Keadaan mereka sekarang alhamdulilah baik-baik saja, nggak ada yang ditahan sama polisi dan kami pergi sama-sama begitu juga pulang dengan sama-sama. Terimah kasih,� terang Wakil Presiden Mahasisa Unihaz, Lia, yang dikonfirmasi sahabatrakyat.com, Rabu malam.

Demo mahasiswa itu sendiri mengusung sembilan tuntutan kepada Presiden Jokowi, yakni:

1. Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo mengeluarkan Perpu terhadap UU No.19 tahun 2019 tentang Komisi Pemberatasan tindak pidana Korupsi;
2. Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo untuk menuntaskan permasalah korupsi.
3. Mendesak presiden Joko Widodo untuk membatalkan kenaikan iuran BPJS, sesuai dengan pasal 28 H ayat 1 UUD Negara Republik Indonesia tahun 1945;
4. Menuntut Presiden Joko Widodo selaku pemegang kekuasaan pemerintahan untuk menutup PLTU batu bara Teluk Sepang;
5. Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo untuk segera memangkas hutang luar negeri dan membuka akses keterbukaan informasi terkait hutang luar negeri Indonesia;
6. Mendesak Pemerintah segera menuntaskan kasus HAM dan menjamin kebebasan berpendapat bagi setiap warga negara di muka umum;
7. Mendesak Presiden untuk memastikan anggaran pendidikan terealisasikan di tiap daerah dan meminta Jokowi untuk turut andil dalam perbaikan pendidikan yang merata di Bengkulu.
8. Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo untuk memastikan karhutla tidak terjadi kembali, tindak tegas terhadap oknum pembakaran hutan baik pribadi maupun korporasi.
9. Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo mengentaskan permasalahan kemiskinan dan meningkatkan kesejahteraan di Indonesia, terkhusus provinsi Bengkulu.
10. Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo mengoptimalkan tim audit untuk menuntaskan BUMN bermasalah.

On 5 February 2020, four students from the youth organisation "Aliansi Mahasiswa Bengkulu Berdaulat" were arrested by the police for joining a peaceful protest during the visit of President Widodo in Bengkulu City, Indonesia.

Komite Keselamatan Jurnalis mengecam pemidanaan terhadap jurnalis berita.news Muhammad Asrul dengan pasal ujaran kebencian Pasal 28 ayat 2 UU ITE jo. Pasal 156 KUHP dan pasal perbuatan menimbulkan keonaran Pasal 14 dan 15 UU Nomer 1 Tahun 1946. Kasus ini seharusnya diselesaikan dengan mekanisme sengketa pers sesuai dengan Nota Kesepahaman Dewan Pers dan Kapolri dan UU Pers.

"Pemidanaan ini menjadi preseden buruk bagi kebebasan pers di Indonesia. Sengketa pers sudah selayaknya diselesaikan dengan mekanisme UU Pers. Karena itu, Komite Keselamatan Jurnalis mendesak polisi segera membebaskan Asrul atas kasus ini. Kapolri juga perlu mengevaluasi anggota polisi yang menangani kasus ini karena tidak bisa membedakan kasus sengketa pers dengan kasus lainnya," ujar Koordinator Komite Keselamatan Jurnalis Sasmito Madrim.

"Dan jika ada kasus-kasus yang tidak berkaitan dengan UU Pers, silakan saja diproses dengan menggunakan UU lain. Bukan sebaliknya mengkriminalisasi karya jurnalistiknya."

Pada 14 Juni 2019, Muhammad Asrul diadukan ke polisi dengan aduan pencemaran nama baik oleh Farid Karim Judas karena tiga berita dugaan korupsi yang dituliskannya di media online berita.news pada 10, 24, dan 25 Mei 2019. Tiga tulisan yang dipermasalahkan itu berjudul �Putra Mahkota Palopo Diduga �Dalang� Korupsi PLTMH dan Keripik Zaro Rp11 M�, tertanggal 10 Mei 2019, �Aroma Korupsi Revitalisasi Lapangan Pancasila Palopo Diduga Seret Farid Judas� tertanggal 24 Mei 2019, dan �Jilid II Korupsi jalan Lingkar Barat Rp5 M, Sinyal Penyidik Untuk Farid Judas?� tertanggal 25 Mei 2019.

Sekitar bulan Juli 2019, Asrul mendapat surat panggilan dari penyidik dan Asrul kemudian memberikan klarifikasi bahwa kasus yang menjeratnya adalah kasus pers yang seharusnya melalui mekanisme sengketa pers sesuai dengan Pasal 1, 5, 11, dan 15 UU No 40 Tahun 1999 tentang Pers. Lalu tidak ada tindak lanjut.

Hak Jawab Sudah Dberikan, Tetap Dipolisikan

Pada 4 November 2019, Kuasa Hukum Farid Kasim Judas mengirimkan surat somasi berupa permintaan hak jawab dan permintaan maaf oleh media Berita News terkait berita yang memuat tentang dirinya. Hak jawab tersebut dimuat di portal Berita News pada 6 November 2019.

Namun, pemuatan Hak Jawab yang sebenarnya merupakan bagian dari penyelesaian sengketa pers sebagaimana diatur oleh UU Pers, ternyata dianggap tidak cukup.

Pada 17 Desember 2019, Farid Kasim Judas membuat aduan yang tercatat dalam Laporan Polisi Nomor: LPB / 465/ XII / 2019 / SPKT. Polisi pun segera menindaklanjuti laporan itu dengan penangkapan, sesuatu yang amat berlebihan.

Pada 29 Januari 2020 pukul 13.05 WITA Muhammad Asrul dijemput paksa dari rumahnya oleh kepolisian. Selanjutnya ia dibawa ke Polda Sulawesi Selatan untuk dimintai keterangan tanpa didampingi oleh penasihat hukum. Muhammad Asrul mulai diperiksa dan menjalani BAP oleh penyidik sejak pukul 15.30 WITA sampai 20.30 WITA.

Namun, begitu selesai menjalani BAP, Muhammad Asrul tidak diperbolehkan pulang. Ia langsung ditahan di Rutan Mapolda Sulsel tanpa pemberitahuan kepada pihak keluarga ataupun pihak Berita News sejak 30 Januari 2020. Barulah pada 31 Januari 2020 keluar Surat Pemberitahuan Penahanan Nomor B/70/I/2020/Ditreskrimsus untuk Muhammad Asrul yang ditujukan kepada keluarga.

"Kasus ini menambah daftar panjang kasus kekerasan terhadap jurnalis di Indonesia. Padahal kita tahu kemerdekaan pers merupakan syarat mutlat untuk mendorong pemerintahan yang bersih, bebas dari korupsi. Tapi bagaimana ini bisa tercapai jika produk-produk jurnalisme dikriminalisasi," tambah Sasmito.

Sasmito juga mengatakan hal ini akan membuat indeks kemerdekaan pers Indonesia semakin terpuruk. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) menempatkan Indonesia di peringkat, di bawah Timor Leste dan Malaysia.

Berdasarkan kronologi dan kondisi tersebut, Komite Keselamatan Jurnalis menilai kasus ini merupakan sengketa pers yang seharusnya mengikuti mekanisme penyelesaian sesuai Nota Kesepahaman Dewan Pers dan Kapolri. Kriminalisasi terhadap Asrul dengan menggunakan UU ITE merupakan preseden buruk dan memperpanjang daftar penyalahgunaan UU ITE untuk menjerat jurnalis dalam karya-karyanya sekaligus mengancam sikap kritis warga terhadap dugaan kasus korupsi.

Atas perkara tersebut, KKJ menyatakan hal sebagai berikut:

1. Menuntut agar Polda Sulsel segera membebaskan Muhammad Asrul dan menghentikan perkara ini.
2. Mendesak agar perkara ini dibawa ke Dewan Pers dan menyelesaikannya dengan mekanisme sengketa pers, bukan dengan menggunakan pasal-pasal karet dalam UU ITE.
3. Meminta agar pemerintah segera merevisi pasal karet UU ITE yang rawan digunakan untuk mengkriminalisasi jurnalis, terutama media daring.
4. Menyarankan agar semua pihak menghentikan penggunaan pasal-pasal karet dalam UU ITE untuk menjerat kebebasan berekspresi, termasuk kebebasan pers, melalui media daring dan media sosial.

On 29 January 2020, Muhammad Arsul, media worker, was questioned and arrested by the police in response of local corruption cases he reported in Makassar, Indonesia.

Pelajar dan mahasiswa eksodus asal kabupaten Timika, Papua, mengecam dan mengutuk keras tindakan Kepolisian Resort (Polres) kabupaten Mimika membubar paksa aksi demo damai berujung penangkapan yang dilakukan, Jumat (24/1/2020) kemarin, di halaman kantor Bupati Mimika.

Hal tersebut disampaikan ketua posko umum eksodus Papua, Eko Philipus Kogoya, karena dinilainya aparat kepolisian sengaja berupaya mau menggiring aksi damai ke tindakan kriminal.

�Aksi kawa-kawan adalah aksi damai. Maka tindakan aparat, kami kutuk. Heran belum sampai pada pembacaan sikap, masa aksi dibubarkan secara paksa tanpa ada ruang berekspresi sedikitpun dikasih oleh kepolisian Mimika,� ujar Eko, melalui pers release yang diterima suarapapua.com, Jumat.

On 24 January 2020, Johni Jangkup, Silfester, and Isack Jamawe , students, were arrested and beaten by the police for joining a peaceful demonstration against a racist incident in Mimika, Indonesia.

MNC group journalist Indra Yoserizal was attacked by security officers from a forestry company while covering a clash between the company and residents in Pelalawan, Riau province on the island of Sumatra on February 4. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia call on authorities for direct investigation of the company to ensure the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.

Yoserizal and several other journalists were covering the land conflict between the forestry company and residents at Gondai village, Pelalawan - a regency of Riau. The origins of the dispute stemmed from Nusa Wana Raya’s recent Supreme Court victory against another companyPeputra Supra Jaya, which it accused of operating an illegal palm plantation on the land.

Many residents involved in the conflict worked as plasma farmers and collaborated with Peputra Supra Jaya. Plasma smallholders are palm oil farmers who partner with a local company providing technical support as part of an overall agreement to sell their produce to that company. The Pelalawan farmers continue to claim Nusa Wana Raya took their land.

In the clash, around 100 Nusa Wana Raya security officers and residents confronted one another, with each side hurling stones. Yoserizal filmed security officers throwing stones after which several security officers grabbed and kicked the journalist. Security officers continued the attack even after Yoserizal had identified himself as a television journalist. They also detained Yoserizal and seized his equipment, which is yet to be returned. Yoserizal suffered bruising to his body and hands. He reported the case to the Pekanbaru Regional Office with the report letter No. STPL/69/II/ 2020/SPKT/RIAU. The company subsequently issued an apology, but the journalist is pursuing legal action for the attack.

In a joint statement with the Indonesian Journalists Safety Committee, AJI urged police to investigate the matter and punish all perpetrators. Under Indonesia’s Press Law, perpetrators who deliberately obstruct journalists’ work can be jailed up to two years or fined up to 500 million rupiahs (USD 36,000).

AJI said: “We also demanded the company or Nusa Wana Raya to impose sanctions to those offenders . . . We call all the parties in the country to respect journalists and protect them while they are on duty.”

On 4 February 2020, Indra Yoserizal, media worker, was beaten by the security personnel of a forestry company while filming the clash between the company security personnel and residents in Pelalawan, Indonesia.

West Sumatra Police reportedly arrested an activist from Inter-Community Studies Center (Pusaka) Sudarto for allegedly spreading hate speech through social media regarding Christmas celebration in Dharmasraya Regency.

“He is arrested at his house,” West Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto verified in Padang, Tuesday, January 7. He said Sudarto was secured at 1:30 p.m. at his house located on Jalan Veteran, Purus.

Stefanus explained that Sudarto deliberately distributed information that triggered individual or group hostility based on ethnicity, religion, and race (SARA) and hoax news via Facebook.

Sudarto, he added, was still undergoing examination at the police headquarters.

Sudarto faced charges of Article 45 (A)2 in conjunction with Article 28 of Law No. 19 of 2016 on the amendment of Law No. 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transaction or ITE Law and Article 14 (1) and (2) of the 1946 Criminal Code.

“He has been named a suspect and will undergo the further process,” Stefanus said.

Previously, the head of a youth group Pemuda Jorong Kampung Baru of Nagari Sikabau, Harry Permana, filed a police report on December 29 against Sudarto for allegedly spreading false information in light of the ban on Christmas celebration in the region. Sudarto made the post on December 14-15.

Harry clarified that Nagari Sikabau had never restricted the Christmas celebration but rather prohibited people from outside the region to hold or celebrate it in the area.

Human rights communities condemned the arrest of Sudarto. Deputy chief of Setara Institute Bonar Tigor Naipospos said the case was a new strategy from intolerant groups to silence critical people on social media. "Unfortunately, the law enforcers tend to favor the majority group," Bonar said.

On 7 January 2020, Sudarto, FoRB activist, was arrested by the police and charged for allegedly spreading hate speech online in Padang, Indinesia.

An Indonesian prosecutor charged five men and a woman with treason on Thursday, accusing them of organizing a protest in Jakarta demanding independence for the easternmost province of Papua.

The peaceful protest of about 100 people had been held outside the presidential palace and military headquarters on Aug. 28 and followed a period of unrest in Papua.

Prosecutor P. Permana read out the indictment in the Central Jakarta court saying the six defendants had organized a rally demanding the Indonesian government allow a vote in Papua to let it separate from Indonesia One of the six waved the "Morning Star" flag, while dancing and singing, the indictment said. The flag is a banned symbol of Papuan nationhood.

"The action by the defendants is treason with the aim to separate Papua province and West Papua province from the unitary state of Indonesia," said Permana.

There was a small protest outside the court on Thursday held by pro-Papuan activists calling for the release of the six.

The six could face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.

A hearing for the defense is due on Jan. 2, but the six have said it was their constitutional right to participate in the rally.

Resource-rich Papua was a Dutch colony that was incorporated into Indonesia after a controversial U.N.-backed referendum in 1969. The region has since endured decades of mostly low-level separatist conflict.

On 19 December 2019, six indigenous people, including 5 male HRDs and one WHRD, were charged with treason for organising a protest by a prosecutor in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Police officers grabbed the phone of IDN Times journalist Helmi Shemi, deleting his footage of the Jakarta protests on Human Rights Day. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia condemn the attack and demand authorities investigate the incident to hold the perpetrators to account.

During the protest, two police officers wedged a demonstrator between their police motorcycles. Shemi recorded the incident on his phone when a police officer confronted Shemi demanding to know where he worked. Shemi showed his press card but the police still grabbed his phone. Shemi recalls: “My phone was grabbed by one of the police officers who held it for around five minutes and deleted the video I took earlier”.

December 10 marked Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, In Indonesia, the Press Law guarantees freedom of the press and the Press Council and the Indonesian National Police have signed a memorandum of understanding to protect the press freedom.

AJI demand that the violence and intimidation against journalists is investigated, and perpetrators are punished under the relevant laws in Indonesia.

The IFJ said: “Violence against journalists remains the largest challenge for journalists in Indonesia. On Human Rights Day, it speaks volumes of the state of media freedom in Indonesia when police attack a journalist for reporting on protests which advocate for human rights. The IFJ urge the police to respect journalists’ rights and stop employing excessive force when handling protests.”

On 10 December 2019, Helmi Shemi, journalist, had his mobile seized by the police who deleted the video he was taking about policemen holding a demonstrator in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Human rights activist and the legal council coordinator for the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Golfrid Siregar died on Sunday, October 6th, at the Haji Adam Malik Medan (RSUP HAM) general hospital.

The environmental watchdog’s North Sumatra council member Sumiati Surbakti urged police to investigate Golfrid’s death as she believes he was murdered. She maintains to deny Golfrid’s head injury as a result of a traffic accident.

“There were no bloodstains whatsoever found in the location that police refer to. There was wet soil found in his pants, and there are not wet soil at a flyover. It is clear that he was executed outside of the flyover. Police must investigate this, he is an environmentalist activist and human rights defender,” said Sumiati on Sunday.

According to reports, Golfrid Siregar was initially found with severe injuries to his head as it states he was found unconscious by a rickshaw driver with a destroyed cranium on Thursday, October 3, 2019, at around 01:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) at the Simpang Post flyover in Medan.

Golfrid was pronounced missing on the previous day of Wednesday, October 2. He initially departed from his home to meet an individual in the area of Marindal, which he was since unable to be contacted.

The rickshaw driver who found Golfrid then took him to the Mitra Sejati hospital and was unable to be submitted to the hospital without a name as he did not carry any form of identity. Not long after, the police came and took Golfrid to the RSUP HAM at 03:00 WIB.

Golfrid Siregar had undergone immediate surgery but was pronounced dead not long after due to the severity of his injury. His backpack containing his laptop, wallet, and ring was missing.

The North Sumatra Walhi suspects foul play was involved as they did not find any injury commonly found in victims of traffic accidents apart from Golfrid’s head injury that they suspect was caused by a massive blow to the head by a blunt object.

On 6 October 2019, Golfrid Siregar, environmental activist, died as result of what is deemed to be a murder, committed by unknown perpetrators in Medan, Indonesia.

The Metro Jaya Police has arrested human rights activist Ananda Badudu for raising funds to support the nationwide students protest via KitaBisa crowdfunding platform on September 23-24.

Ananda’s Twitter account on Friday, September 27, stated that he was picked up by the police for transferring funds for students.

The KitaBisa crowd fund he made has managed to garner around Rp175 million up to this day.

The musician and former journalist wrote at the crowdfunding page that he was moved to contribute the college students who are expressing their aspirations and that his intention in making the KitaBisa page was to fund the protesters’ consumption and mobile sound systems used in the protest against the House of Representatives.

On 27 September 2019, Ananda Badudu, human rights activist was picked up by the police in Jakarta and arrested for transferring funds for a students protest.

Activist and documentary filmmaker Dandhy Dwi Laksono has been accused by the Jakarta Police for spreading hate speech after he posted about clashes in Jayapura and Wamena, Papua, on his Twitter account.

Dandhy was arrested by the police in Bekasi, West Java, at 11 p.m. on Thursday, after which he was taken to the Jakarta Police headquarters for an interrogation that lasted until 4 a.m. on Friday.

He was named a suspect of violating Article 28 and Article 45 of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law and accused of spreading information aimed at fueling hatred based on ethnicity, religion or race.

“In usual [practice], there should have been a summons [to testify] as a witness, but at about 11 p.m. [the police] suddenly handed me an arrest warrant,” Dandhy said after the questioning.

Dandhy’s lawyer Alghiffari Aqsa questioned the police’s decision to name his client a suspect, saying that the articles — which had been slammed by critics and activists for their potential to criminalize criticism — were irrelevant.

“The [information] that Dandhy wrote [on Twitter] is part of his freedom of expression in conveying his opinion on what happens in Papua,” Alghiffari said on Wednesday.

On Sept. 23, Dandhy wrote a thread on his Twitter account @Dandhy_Laksono about the clashes in Jayapura and Wamena, in which he posted the photo of students who were allegedly shot by bullets during the incident.

Papuan university students in exodus from campuses across Indonesia opened a crisis center in [Cendrawasih University]. Authorities pick them up from the campus to Expo Waena. Riots. Some died,” Dandhy wrote in his post.

High school students protest against racism by a teacher. [Security] apparatus handle them. The city is in chaos. Many are wounded by gunshots,” he went on.

Violent unrest erupted in the two cities of Papua on Monday, with some senior high school students reportedly being attacked by security staff as they dispersed a protest.

Papua Police, however, said that the protest occurred because of “baseless” provocation among students about an incident in which a teacher allegedly called a student a “monkey” last week.

After being named a suspect, Dandhy was released by the police on Friday morning. The police’s decision to name him a suspect has been met by criticisms from human rights and press freedom activists, who argue that Dandhy was facing prosecution for expressing his opinion, which in fact is guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution.

On 26 September 2019, Dandhy Laksono , filmmaker was accused of hate speech and arrested by the police of Bekasi, Indonesia, after online posting about the ongoing protest in Papua.

Journalists covering student protests in cities across Indonesia were attacked by police in a series of brutal incidents on September 24. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) condemn the systematic harassment and brutality by Indonesian police and call for immediate action by authorities to hold all perpetrators to account.

Thousands of university students held rallies across Indonesia this week to protest the revision of several Indonesian laws in Jakarta, Bandung, Garut, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang, Palembang, Medan, Denpasar, Makassar and Palu. AJI said some journalists covering the rallies were injured by police, while others were intimidated to stop filming or were asked to delete the videos.

At least four journalists were attacked during the Jakarta protests. According to AJI Jakarta branch, a journalist for Kompas Nibras Nada Nailufar was intimidated by police to delete footage of alleged police brutality against a protester near the Jakarta Convention Centre during the evening of September 24. Vanny El Rahman, a reporter of IDN Times, was assaulted and also pressured to erase a video of police violence in Slipi, in West Jakarta. Tri Kurnia Yunianto, of Katadata, and Febrian Ahmad, of Metro TV, were attacked in Jakarta. Despite showing a press card, police confiscated Kurnia’s mobile phone and deleted a video of police firing tear gas at protesters. In a separate incident, Metro TV’s Febrian Ahmad was set upon by a mob of protesters who attacked his work car with sticks and stones.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, AJI Makassar reported that three journalists were assaulted by police at a rally in front of the regional legislative council. Journalists Muhammad Darwi Fathir, of Antara news agency; Saiful, of inikata.com; and Ishak Pasabuan, of Makassar Today; were physically attacked by police during police clashes with student protesters. In Palu, on Central Sulawesi, police snatched the camera of Rian Saputra, a journalist with public broadcaster TVRI Central Sulawesi and demanded he delete videos.

AJI calls on authorities to investigate the attacks and urged Indonesia’s Press Council to establish an independent task force to deal with violence inflicted against journalists during the mass protests in the country.

AJI Chairman, Abdul Manan, said: “We must remind all sides to respect journalists’ safety while they are on the jobs. We also ask newsrooms to provide tools to keep journalists safe.”

The IFJ said: “We condemn the attacks against journalists in Indonesia while they are endeavouring to do their jobs and report in the public interest. Indonesia’s authorities need to respect the media’s role and ensure every effort to ensure the safety of journalists while they are covering protests.”

On 24 September 2019, at least four journalists were harassed and attacked by the police while covering a student protest in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Journalists covering the demonstration in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta, on Friday, September 13, were harassed, blocked and had their equipment damaged. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia condemn the attack and call the authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the assault.

A group of 100 people calling itself ‘The Alliance of Students and Youth Volunteers who Love the NKRI’ and the Indonesia Students Association staged a protestoutside the KPK offices in Jakarta in support of the revisions of the KPK Law No. 32/2002. The demonstration turned violent when protesters started to smash floral bouquets sent by the activists of Indonesia’s anti-corruption movement and threw sticks and stones into the building. They also took down the black cloth covering the logo of KPK and names inside the building. The black cloth was placed there as part of the previous protest against the revision of the KPK Law, which will weaken the institution. The black cloth was a symbol of the gloom and mourning.

The journalists covering the protests were also targeted, stones and rocks were thrown at the press room beside the KPK lobby. Some of the journalists were attacked including on from Berita Satu who was hit. Protesters tried to obstruct the media from recording the violence and one reporter’s camera and tripod were destroyed.

AJI, in its statement, said it regretted the police officers who were on the scene did not take serious action during the riot. The officers allowed the attackers to go and asked the journalists to stop filming of taking photos.

“We urge the police to investigate the riot and prosecute the demonstrators who attacked journalists. We also demand the authorities to ensure the safety of the journalists in Indonesia while they are on duty. In conducting the activities of his profession, the journalist is protected by the Press law,” AJI added.

The IFJ said: “We stand with AJI in condemning the assault against journalists. We also call the Indonesian authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the attack. The incident was not the first time that the journalists were targeted during the riot. Indonesian authorities must ensure the protection of journalists so it will not occur again in the future.”

On 13 September 2019, an undefined number of journalists was harassed, blocked and had their equipment damaged by violent protesters while covering a protest in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Yesterday, a riot police officer beat and kicked Muh Darwin Fatir, a reporter at Indonesian national news agency Antara News, while he was covering a protest at the parliament building in Makassar, the capital of Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, according to a report by his employer.

Fatir suffered bruises to his head and boot marks were visible on his body where he was kicked in the stomach; he was treated for his injuries at the local Awal Bros Hospital, according to Antara News.

At least two other journalists, Ishak Pasa'buan, of local outlet Makassar Today, and Muh Saiful Rania, of news website Inikata.com, were also beaten by police, according to a report by Makassar Today.

Several students were also injured during the protest against changes to Indonesia’s corruption and criminal laws, which turned violent when student protesters threw stones and police responded with tear gas and physical violence, according to Antara News and a report by local news outlet Tempo.

"We strongly urge Indonesian authorities to thoroughly and independently investigate the police beatings of journalists in Makassar, and to bring those responsible to justice," said CPJ's Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin. "Journalists must be free to report on civil unrest without fear of being targeted by authorities."

Akhmad Munir, news director at Antara News, called on police to open a serious and transparent investigation into the attack on Fatir in a statement.

The protests in Makassar occurred simultaneously with protests in other Indonesian cities, including Jakarta, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta, according to Tempo.

CPJ emailed Indonesia’s National Police for comment but did not receive a reply.

On 24 September 2019, three journalists were assaulted by the police while covering a protest in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Indonesian police have named human rights lawyer and well-known West Papua advocate Veronica Koman as a suspect in the spreading of “fake news”, accusing her of provoking widespread unrest in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces.

In a move slammed by Amnesty International Indonesia, the human rights lawyer faces charges under the country’s controversial electronic information and transactions law, and faces up to six years in jail if found guilty.

Police specifically mentioned Koman’s posts about an incident in Surabaya in mid-August where military and nationalist militia were captured on video calling Papuan students “monkeys” and “dogs”.

East Java police said the lawyer had provoked and inflamed anti-racist riots that have swept across West Papua in recent weeks, and accused of her spreading fake news and provocative material.

Indonesian police say they have also contacted Interpol to seek assistance in locating the Indonesian lawyer, who they believe is abroad.

Indonesia’s National Commission of Human Rights slammed the move, saying Koman had attempted only to provide “necessary information from a different point of view”.

Usman Hamid, the executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said the move was deeply misguided. “The root of the real problem is the act of racism by some members of the TNI [Indonesian army] and the excessive use of force by the police in the student dormitory in Surabaya,” Usman told tirto.id.

Since unrest has flared across West Papua – divided into the two Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua – in some cases erupting in violent and fatal clashes, Koman has proved a critical source of information, regularly updating her Twitter account with photos and videos that have provided a rare insight into the realities on the ground.

It comes at a time when internet access has been cut for more than two weeks in the remote area, which is restricted to foreign journalists.

Meanwhile in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, who until now has been blocked from the visiting West Papua, said on Wednesday that she was concerned about escalating violence.

“There should be no place for such violence in a democratic and diverse Indonesia, and I encourage the authorities to engage in dialogue with the people of Papua and West Papua on their aspirations and concerns, as well as to restore internet services and refrain from any excessive use of force,” she said, “Blanket internet shutdowns are likely to contravene freedom of expression and limiting communications may exacerbate tensions”.

On 4 September 2019, human rights lawyer and activist Veronica Koman was named suspect for different offences by the regional police in Indonesia's East Java Province.

A politician from Perindo Party of Sorong Sayang Mandabayan is undergoing police question in Manokwari Resort Police Headquarters, Papua, over the possession of 1,500 flags of Bintang Kejora or morning star, the symbol of the Free Papua Movement.

“The questioning is still afoot in Manokwari police headquarters,” said National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo in his office, South Jakarta, Tuesday, September 3.

Sayang was arrested in Rendani Airport, Manokwari, right before claiming his baggage. The airport’s Aviation Security (Avsec) suspected Sayang’s wary behaviors.

The team then searched through his belongings and discovered 1,500 pieces of the small flag of Bintang Kejora in his pink suitcase. He was brought to Rendani Sector Police to be picked by Manokwari police officers for further examination.

Dedi said that according to Manokwari Police, Sayang Mandabayan boarded Wings Air from DEO Airport Sorong to join a peaceful rally which would take place today, September 3, in Manokwari. “We are still examining the suspicion,” he concluded.

On 3 September 2019, Sayang Mandabayan, activist attending a peaceful rally, was arrested and detained by the Airport police in Manokwari, Indonesia.

Jayapura. Two French journalists were on Friday handed short jail terms for illegally reporting in Indonesia's Papua province, but will walk free next week after already having served the time in custody, their lawyer said. Thomas Dandois, 40, and Valentine Bourrat, 29, were detained at the start of August while making a documentary for Franco-German television channel Arte about Papua's separatist movement. Indonesia is deeply sensitive about journalists covering Papua, where a low-level insurgency against the central government has simmered for decades, and rarely grants visas for foreigners to report independently in the region. At the trial in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, the pair were charged with breaking immigration laws since they were reporting with tourist, not journalist, visas - a crime punishable by up to five years in jail. Prosecutors had sought a four-month sentence during the trial, which started this week, saying the journalists had admitted their mistake and apologized. However a panel of judges handed them a sentence of only two months and 15 days, their lawyer Aristo Pangaribuan told Agence France-Presse. They will be released next week, he said. "This decision is good because they will go home on Monday," said the lawyer. "But from a legal perspective, this is not very good because it opens the door for the criminalization of journalistic activities." They did not plan to appeal, he added. Foreign journalists detained in the past for illegally reporting in Papua were swiftly deported.

On 24 October 2014, two French journalists were found guilty of breaching the article 122 of Law no. 8/2011 on immigration, by carrying out journalistic activities while using tourist visas. They were sentenced to short jail terms and fine.

A radical group has threatened to use force to close down a seminar on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues organized by Sanata Dharma University's School of Psychology. "We have requested the seminar be cancelled. If not, we will cancel it by force," Muhammad Fuad, leader of the Ka'abah Defender Movement, one of the elements grouped under the Islamic Society Forum (FUI), said on Wednesday. He said he was worried that so-called academic freedom had been hijacked by some groups of people who wanted to inject the society with discourses on LGBT issues. He said the LGBT orientations should be viewed like a spreading disease that could harm Islamic values and the morals of society. Sanata Dharma rector Johanes Eka Priyatma said he had been made aware of the threat, saying that the university would reconsider and cancel the seminar if it turned out that the seminar's theme would hurt the feelings of some groups in town. "We always have the option to cancel the seminar if we find out that it could hurt the feelings of some groups," Johanes said on Wednesday. However, he argued that the sole reason behind organizing this seminar was to provide a stage upon which to discuss LGBT issues from an academic perspective. LBGT activist Renate Arisugiwa acknowledged his disappointment at the threat, saying that it wasn't necessary as they would gather and discuss about topics like the rights of LGBT people who are often neglected in daily life. "We want to discuss problems that are often being experienced by LGBT people," he said. He also criticized the view that the LGBT orientations should be viewed as diseases, citing that the World Health Organization had not categorized them as diseases since the 1990s and Indonesia had ratified the same policy in 1993. The director of the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Yogyakarta branch, Samsuddin Nurseha, said the police should react to the threats by providing protection for both the seminar and its participants. Sleman Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ihsan Amin had refused to comment on this matter, giving as a reason that he was in the middle of a meeting. (dic) Source: Jakarta Post (The Jakarta Post

On 17 September 2014, a seminar on LGBT issues organized by Sanata Dharma University was threatened to cancel by a radical group under the Islamic Society Forum (FUI). The group said that they will use force to close down the seminar if it will be carried out.

Human rights activists called on police on Wednesday to investigate the death of the Sorong Raya West Papua National Committee (KNPB) chairman Marthinus Yohame. "It's very shocking that the body was found inside a gunny sack floating on the sea," West Papua human rights lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy told The Jakarta Post. The body of Marthinus Yohame, 27, was found on the sea inside a tied gunny sack in Nana waters by a fisherman who was fishing behind the Dom Port in Sorong, West Papua. Yan Christian said that the death of Marthinus might have something to do with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's visit to the region to officially open Sail Raja Ampat on Aug. 23. He said that before Marthinus left his house on Aug. 20, a KNPB supporter, Abner Wanma--who was one of the dancers for Sail Raja Ampat's main event-- was taken by police from his lodge in Waisai Raja Ampat after a dance rehearsal. "Abner was returned home the following day and at the same time there was information saying that the KNPB Sorong Raya chairman had not yet come home," Yan said. There were rumours that the KNPB was to raise the Papua separatist group's Bintang Kejora flag during SBY's visit, Yan Christian said. "It's very extreme if someone was killed just to prevent the flag from being raised," he said. He also called on the KNPB and Marthinus' family to provide police with as much information as possible to aid them with the investigation. Yan Christian also asked the police to give wide access to the family to help reveal the truth of the case. He urged the police to thoroughly investigate Marthinus' death, the motive and the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the police are still waiting for an autopsy to be performed on Marthinus' body as part of the investigation. "Without an autopsy it will be difficult for the police to uncover the facts around his death," Papua Police's spokesperson Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo told the Post in Jayapura on Wednesday. Pudjo said Marthinus' body was still in the state-run RSUD Sorong hospital awaiting the autopsy, pending his family's approval. He said the autopsy was sought because his death was considered unusual. He said a wound that was one centimetre by one centimetre big was found on the left side of his chest and another wound that was two-by-three centimetre big was found on his right abdomen. "If no autopsy is conducted we will never know the cause of the wounds in the chest and abdomen," Pudjo said. Before Marthinus' body was found, his family had reported to police that he had left his house on Aug. 20 and never returned.

On 25 August 2014, Papuan activist Marthinus Yohame was found dead in a bag in the ocean, having been missing for five days. Mr. Yohame was the chairman of the Sorong Raya West Papua National Committee (KNPB), a nationalist organisation that, among other things, fought illegal logging and environmental degradation in the region. West Papuan sources report that he was kidnapped by Indonesian state security forces, but this could not be independently verified. His body is currently undergoing an autopsy.

Civil society and human rights groups have strongly criticized National Police chief Gen. Sutarman for stating that the force will continue to investigate a member of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), a state-sanctioned watchdog, for speaking out in a TV interview about rampant corruption in the police. Sutarman's target was Adrianus Meliala, also a professor of criminology at the University of Indonesia (UI). Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) chairman Neta S. Pane said on Wednesday that the legal battle against Adrianus reflected the police's reluctance to accept criticism and begin the long-stalled process of bureaucratic reform within the institution. "There are scores of corruption cases implicating rank-and-file officers up to police generals, yet the force appears to keep those from public scrutiny and does not bring corrupt officers to justice," Neta said during a meeting at Kompolnas in Jakarta. Adrianus, a former journalist, is under investigation for allegedly defaming the force in a recent interview on Metro TV, in which he said that criminal investigation divisions at the regional police level were often exploited like "automatic teller machines" by the police's top brass to enrich themselves. The statement was made in response to the arrest of four West Java Police officers, who were caught red-handed tampering with an online gambling investigation and accepting over Rp 5 billion (US$425,894) in bribes. Adrianus declined to withdraw his statement and insisted it was based on numerous public complaints and reports from police officers received by Kompolnas. Sutarman said the intention of investigating a promiment professor of criminology due to the latter's comments remained intact. Sutarman said Adrianus should be held responsible for his words, despite Adrianus speaking out in his capacity as the member of Kompolnas. "I will always accept criticism based on facts, but we cannot accept them if they are some sort of analytical view. Even my seniors - former National Police chiefs - feel these analyses are unacceptable," he said. IPW's Neta said there were several unresolved cases, including an alleged bribery case implicating Jakarta Police Traffic Corps director Sr. Comr. Nurhadi Yuwono and East Java Police Traffic Director Sr. Comr. Rahmat Hidayat. However, despite possessing strong evidence, the National Police have not launched an investigation into the allegations. In May, Nurhadi, Rahmat and several of their subordinates were removed from their posts for allegedly accepting hundreds of millions of rupiah in kickbacks from agencies arranging driver's licenses and vehicle registration documents. The National Police have also been accused of dragging their feet in investigating a civil servant in Batam municipality, Riau Islands. The individual had a questionable bank balance of Rp 1.3 trillion and was allegedly linked to the fuel-smuggling business. Ray Rangkuti of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle said the investigation into Adrianus gave the impression that the National Police were belittling Kompolnas, which was tasked with supervising the police's performance. "Adrianus' summons may be the police's way of showing that they can treat Kompolnas as their little brother or subordinate," he said.

On 27 August 2014 National Police chief General Sutarman stated that the force will continue to investigate Adrianus Meliala, a member of the state-sanctioned National Police Commission (Kompolnas) watchdog, for speaking out in a TV interview about rampant corruption in the police. The move has been criticised as a clear attempt to intimidate and muzzle the watchdog to prevent it from bringing corruption and abuse of power to light as it is mandated to do. In a revealing demonstration of its priorities, the police force will continue to pursue Mr. Meliala even as it fails to act on a myriad of high-profile corruption cases within the force.

JAKARTA: Indonesian police arrested an Amnesty activist for insulting the military, the group said on Thursday, after he compared a plan to allow senior officers to hold civilian positions to the days of autocratic leader Suharto. Robertus Robet, a board member of Amnesty International Indonesia, was arrested late on Wednesday, the group said in a statement. Asked about details of the arrest, police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo cited a law under which those who intentionally insult a public institution face jail of up to 18 months. Prasetyo did not give further details. Police arrested Robet based on a speech made during a rally last week in which he spoke against a plan by the government to allow senior military officers to hold civilian positions in government institutions, Amnesty said. The plan "brought to mind the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) dual function in New Order era", Amnesty said, referring to the military under Suharto rule. A video circulating online also showed Robet singing during his speech. "The song was intended as my criticism of the ABRI of the past not the Indonesian National Military (TNI) of the present, let alone intended to insult the profession and institutional organisation of the TNI," Robet said in a televised statement on Thursday. Amnesty said in a statement Robet's arrest was "not only a clear threat to the freedom of speech and expression in Indonesia, but also poses a threat for human rights activists in general". Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for 32 years, was forced from office in 1998 as the world's fourth most populous nation descended into economic and social chaos. Much of the blame for that crisis focused on the nepotism and corruption that became the hallmark of Suharto's later years in power and which saw family members and close associates amass fortunes and come to dominate Indonesia's economy.

On 6 March 2019, Robertus Robet, a board member of Amnesty International Indonesia, was arrested after he compared a plan to allow senior officers to hold civilian positions to the days of autocratic leader Suharto.

The police have proceeded to a fully fledged criminal investigation of the reported assault on two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators who were assigned to tail several Papuan officials at a Jakarta hotel, the antigraft body says. "According to the information we have received from the Jakarta Police, they will use the result of medical examinations of our injured employees as evidence," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said in Jakarta on Thursday. "This should confirm the allegations of assault on the on-duty officers[...] and dismiss claims made by other parties regarding the incident at the hotel. The remaining task is to look for potential suspects." The incident occurred on Saturday night at the Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta, where officials from the Papua provincial administration, including Governor Lukas Enembe, were holding a meeting with Papua Legislative Council (DPRD) members to discuss the province's 2019 draft budget. At that time, an administration staff member noticed that one of the two KPK investigators positioned in the hotel was taking photographs of the officials. The Papua officials subsequently detained the KPK employees. According to the antigraft body, its investigators were then assaulted, resulting in injuries, including a broken nose that required surgery. The KPK reported the assault to the Jakarta Police on Sunday afternoon. The Papua administration, however, has rejected the KPK's narrative. Its spokesperson, Gilbert Yakwar, denied the assault or indeed that any sort of altercation occurred between the two sides. "Regarding the issue of assault on the two officials resulting in surgery to the nose and/or face, we need to reiterate that this is not true," he said in a statement on Monday. "There was only pushing involved because[the administration officials] became emotional about being suspected of bribery and part of a KPK raid." Febri added that the antigraft body appreciated the Jakarta Police's swift response in investigating the case. One of the injured investigators, identified as Muhammad Gilang, remained under medical treatment at the hospital after undergoing successful surgery on Monday. Jakarta Police investigators on Wednesday questioned at least five witnesses in the case. "The witnesses include three security guards, a security camera operator and a hotel receptionist," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com. He added that investigators had sent security camera footage depicting the alleged assault to the National Police's forensics laboratory. Antigraft activists, including Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and Transparency International Indonesia, have called on the police to thoroughly investigate the case in order to prevent similar attacks from recurring in the future. The Anti-Corruption Study Center (PUKAT) at Gadjah Mada University added its voice on Wednesday, demanding that the police solve the case once and for all so similar attacks would not disrupt the commission's fight against corruption. "Law enforcers should provide protection to KPK leaders and employees in conducting their work," PUKAT researcher Oce Madril said. Meanwhile on Thursday, the KPK named House of Representatives lawmaker Sukiman and the acting head of the public works agency in Pegunungan Arfak, West Papua, Natan Pasombo, suspects in a graft case related to the deliberations of fiscal transfers allocated for the regency in the 2017 revised State Budget and 2018 State Budget. Febri stressed the case was not related to Saturday's alleged assault.

On 2 February 2019, two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators, were physically assaulted while conducting an investigation

Eight activists with the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, have been questioned by Indonesian police in Timika in relation to alleged subversion or treason. This comes after members of the pro-independence organisation were forced out of their secretariat by dozens of police last Thursday in the southern Papuan city. Police allegations relate to the 31st of December, when KNPB members said they prepared to host a prayer event before a joint police and military operation dispersed them. However, a lawyer working for the KNPB, Veronica Koman, has disputed the legality of police procedure when questioning KNPB activists on Saturday. She said police failed to issue the required notice of three days for the summons. CNN Indonesia reported that the KNPB secretariat is still under the control of Indonesian military and police who intend to use it as a post. The local police chief, Senior Commissioner Agung Marlianto, said police have been acting in the interests of safeguarding the unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. UPDATE: On 5 January 2019 three men of the 8 questioned were detained and later charged with treason, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in Indonesia.

On 5 January 2019, eight activists with the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, have been questioned by Indonesian police in Timika in relation to alleged subversion or treason.

MENEMENG, Indonesia - An environmental activist and his family survived an attack on their lives early Sunday morning after assailants barricaded them inside their home and set it on fire. Murdani heads a chapter of Indonesia's largest environmental NGO, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi). At around 3 a.m., he and his wife woke to the smell of burning on the second floor of their home in Menemeng village on Lombok, an island next to Bali. Over the past few months, Murdani had noticed people watching his house. He had recently taken to sleeping on the front porch in order to keep guard, though on this night he slept upstairs. Upon waking, Murdani and his wife immediately woke their two children. Murdani grabbed the younger one and rushed downstairs to find the front door on fire. The fire had surrounded part of the house and was spreading inside. His wife brought the older child down by way of the roof of a kiosk next door. Seeing her shouting, the neighbors rushed over to help. It took them 45 minutes to douse the flames. After dawn broke and the police arrived, they found a pillow under the front wheel of Murdani's car, apparently used to set it alight. They also found a plastic bag that smelled of gasoline by the house. Whoever started the fire had covered the security camera above the front door with a hat. They used a wooden chair to jam the door shut and a bamboo table to block another door. "The goal was to trap us inside," Murdani told Mongabay two days after the attack. Precisely why Murdani was targeted is not yet clear. The list of contentious development projects he has spoken out against in West Nusa Tenggara province, where he heads Walhi's operations, is long - from the reclamation of Bima Bay on the neighboring island of Sumbawa to gold mining on Lombok. However, Murdani suspects it was his work on sand mining that prompted the attack. Sand mines abound in the part of Lombok where Murdani lives. Under his leadership, Walhi's chapter in the province has fought illegal sand mines and urged the government not to issue permits for new sand mines. A year ago, residents asked Murdani to help advocate for the rejection of a proposed sand mine on the border of Menemeng and Bilebante, a village known as an ecotourism destination. Residents have complained the sand mining has resulted in damaged roads, landslides and cloudy water. At one point the developers behind a controversial plan to reclaim Bali's Benoa Bay floated plans to dredge sand from Lombok to be used as infill for the massive tourism project, although the provincial government rejected the proposal. "We've received a lot of threats by text message," Murdani said. There are many players in the local sand mining industry. Murdani doesn't want to speculate as to the culprit. He wants the police to handle it, although Walhi has formed its own team to investigate the attack. Murdani's case is not an outlier, said Puri Kencana Putri, campaign manager with Amnesty International. She pointed to the 2015 murder of Salim Kancil, a farmer who organized protests against a sand mine in Lumajang, East Java; and an attack last November on the office of the Mining Advocacy Network, or Jatam, in East Kalimantan province. "In Murdani's case, we know he advocates for and defends people's rights in the natural resource and extractive sectors, including mining," Puri said. "There are groups who don't like what he does." She called on the government to ensure protection for Murdani and his family. From 2010 to 2018, there were 171 recorded cases of violence against activists in Indonesia, according to Ainul Yaqin from the Indonesian Human Protection Foundation (YPII). Most of the victims were environmental activists. Muhammad Isnur of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation called on the police to focus on catching not just the people who attacked Murdani's house, but whoever put them up to it. "They've got to go after the mastermind," he said. However, he was pessimistic about the police getting to the bottom of the case, citing the lack of progress in the Jatam investigation.

On 28 January 2019, the house and car of Murhadi, the Director of WALHI (Indonesian Forum for the Environment) West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) was burned down in the middle of the night by unknown perpetrator

Hundreds of Papuan students faced off with counterprotesters in Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya today in a rally calling for the Melanesian region's independence while pro-independence sources reported more than 300 people arrested in West Papua. The Surabaya rally was organised by the Papua Students Alliance. The demonstrators chanted "Freedom Papua" in Surabaya city to mark December 1, which many West Papuans consider as the 57th anniversary of what should have been their independence, report news agencies. The crowd, many of whom wearing headbands of the Morning Star flag - banned by Indonesian authorities, was blocked from marching to the city center by scores of counterprotesters from several youth organisations waving the Indonesian flag. They confronted the pro-independence protesters with sharpened bamboos. Several hundred members of anti-riot police prevented the two rival groups from clashing. The protest ended after about two hours. However, human rights sources reported tonight that Indonesian police and military had surrounded Papuan student dormitories in Surabaya and arrested 223 people. They were being detained at the Surabaya City sector police station. The Free West Papuan Campaign reports that more than 300 people have been arrested across West Papua. Peaceful demonstrations In several regions of West Papua, peaceful demonstrations took place. Protests were reported in Jakarta, Surabaya, Palu, Kupang, Ternate, Makassar, Manado, Ambon, Poso, Sula, Timika, Meruake, Waropen, and Tobelo. In addition to police intervention during public gatherings, the London-based campaign's website said it had received reports that Indonesian security forces had also raided several student dormitories, and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) headquarters was vandalised. From the monitoring team, below is the interim report of arrests throughout West Papua and other parts of Indonesia: 1. Kupang - 18 people arrested. 2. Ambon - 43 arrested. 3. Ternate - 99 arrested. One of the activists was rushed to hospital due to suffocation 4. Jayapura around 85 people from 4 different locations: Dok IX, Abe, Jayapura and Sentani. 5. Jakarta - 140 arrested 6. Surabaya - hundreds involved in a long march towards Kamasan III student dormitary were confronted by tni-polri and some students were bruised from confrontation. 7. Manado - 29 arrested 8 Waropen - 7 arrested. Names: Jhon Wenggi, Yulianus Kowela, Monika Imbiri and Fiktor Daimboa 9. Sorong and Merauke, including KNPB HQ in Waena, Perumnas III: in lock down and an urgent need for advocacy at these places. RNZ Pacific also reports mass arrests over West Papuan demonstrations in several Indonesian cities. Today marks the 57th anniversary of the first time West Papua's flag of independence, the Morning Star, was raised. In commemoration of the historic event numerous non-violent peaceful demonstrations and prayer vigils were organised around the country. Worldwide flag raisings of international solidarity increase each year as the support for West Papuan independence gains momentum. In New Zealand, flagraising events were held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. This protests comes at a time of increased violence in West Papua, including suspected extrajudicial killings in the region. Urgent issues of concern also include increased military presence, the killing of civilians caught in crossfire in the mountain regions, and armed civilian movements of Papuans protecting their villages. The International Coalition for Papua (ICP) compiles data on political arrests and violence in West Papua. This information has been made public through quarterly reports. The latest ICP reports are at www.humanrightspapua.org

On 1 December 2018, hundreds of activists were arrested as they held a rally calling for the Melanesian region's independence; a few were also met by was blocked from marching to the city center by scores of counterprotesters from several youth organisations waving the Indonesian flag.

Indonesia's Supreme Court upheld the conviction and increased the prison term for an environmentalist found guilty of spreading communism during an anti-mining protest last year, his defense attorney said Tuesday. The Banyuwangi District Court in East Java province in January convicted Hari Budiawan (alias Budi Pego) of spreading the outlawed teachings of Marxism and Leninism by waving a hammer-and-sickle flag during an anti-mining protest in April 2017. Budi, 38, has maintained there were no pro-Communist banners at the protest. The East Java high court upheld Budi's 10-month sentence in March, but the Supreme Court increased the prison term to four years in an Oct. 16 decision that was not made public at the time. Budi was notified of the Supreme Court's verdict by mail on Nov. 16, defense lawyer Hari Kurniawan said. "We regret the decision," Hari told BenarNews, adding that he likely would seek a case review for Budi, who is not in jail. Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi told BenarNews the judges reached the decision independently. "The public has the right to judge its fairness. But the judges' decision must be respected," Suhadi said. Communism has been outlawed in the nation since the mid-1960s, after a failed coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) led to nationwide killings that targeted suspected PKI members in 1965 and 1966. Protest Budi and other residents protested against a gold mine operated by PT Bumi Suksesindo, saying it caused mudflows that polluted the coastal area. He has described the charges against him as fabricated. "The police and members of the TNI (Indonesian National Army) were aware of all our banners, because they were there when we made and installed them," he said at the time of his arrest. "They even photographed every banner we wrote." Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation activist Asfinawati, who uses one name, expressed concerns about the decision. "This is a real threat to the protection of human rights in Indonesia, especially for people who want to participate in the protection of the environment," she told BenarNews. It was not the first time the Supreme Court has increased a prison term or overturned a not-guilty verdict following an appeal. In a recent case that has sparked public outrage, the court sentenced to six months a teacher who made public a recording of her school's principal engaging in a lewd conversation with her. The top court overturned a lower court ruling that cleared the teacher, Baiq Nuril, of defamation charges and ordered her to pay a fine of 500 million rupiah (U.S. $34,000), or spend an additional three months in jail. Nuril was found guilty of distributing or transmitting content that violates morality as stipulated in the Information and Electronic Transaction Law.

On 20 November 2018, Hari Budiawan (alias Budi Pego), environmental rights defender was informed that the Supreme Court increased his prison term to four years

About a dozen activists have staged a brief, peaceful protest at the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Bali, Indonesia. Representatives of various rights groups held up placards and chanted "Defend peoples' rights!" and "Stop the attacks!" outside meeting rooms Thursday at a convention center where media and civil society groups are gathered during the annual meeting. Those involved had badges allowing them to enter the tightly guarded venue. Members of advocacy groups for women, farmers and workers said their gathering of about 500 at a hotel in the city of Denpasar, miles from the conference, was twice shut down by police. An IMF staff member said she would discuss the issue and bring it to the "highest levels." ___

On 11 October 2018, Members of advocacy groups for women, farmers and workers said their gathering of about 500 at a hotel in the city of Denpasar, was twice shut down by police.

In the afternoon of 6 July 2018, a group of Papuan students gathered inside the Papuan student dormitory in Kalasan Road 10, Sub-district Tambaksari. Members of the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) organized a discussion for the commemoration of the 20. Anniversary of the Biak massacre. The students wanted to watch a documentary about the massacre and discuss the incident with friends and activists. At 07.00 pm, more than 100 security force personnel consisting of officers from the police unit for the enforcement of public order (SATPOL PP), district police and military members gathered in front of the dormitory. The security forces had allegedly been called by the head of Tambaksari sub-district, Mr Ridwan Mubarun, who intended to disperse the peaceful student assembly. Being concerned about the large number of security forces in front of the dormitory, one of the students called Mohamad Soleh, a lawyer of Surabaya Legal Aid Institute (LBH Surabaya), and asked him to support the students at the dormitory. Suara PapuaAround 20.30 pm, a group of Papuan students accompanied by the LBH lawyer, and Anindya Joediono, a law student of Narotama University and activist of the National Student Front (FMN), went outside to meet with Mr. Mubarun. The head of Tambaksari sub-district stated that he and the police officers had come to the dormitory to disperse the assembly because he suspected the students to discuss about the political independence of West Papua. The government official allegedly intended to check the students' identities, arguing that the dispersal was a law enforcement operation. When the LBH lawyer and Anindya Joediono asked Mr. Mubarun to show the warrant, the police officers did not show any document authorising the dispersal. A heated discussion between the head of sub-district and the students began (see image above). The situation escalated when a police officer rudely shouted at Anindya Joediono. Thereupon, police officers tried to forcefully drag Anindya's friend Isabella and LBH lawyer Mohamad Soleh away from the students. One police officer indecently touched Anindya's breasts and pulled her shirt until one of the buttons was ripped off. Meanwhile, several police officers attempted to drag Anindya to a police vehicle. Several police officers began to check on the Papuan students' motorcycles alleging them of having stolen the bikes. At 11.00 pm the security forces left the Papuan student dormitory without entering the building. The students fear that racist sentiments and negative media publicity could trigger horizontal conflicts between Papuans and non-Papuans, since similar incidents have frequently occurred in multiple cities of Indonesia. Anindya Joediono stated in an interview with the Papuan media outlet "Suara Papua' that the AMP had allegedly received racist comments through social media calling the Papuan students "monyets', "negros', "niggers' after the incident. After the incident, LBH Surabaya published a press release in which the human rights organisation emphasized that freedom of expression, freedom of opinion and freedom of association are guaranteed under international law and national law through article 28 E (3) of the Indonesian Constitution of 1945, and article 24 (1) of Law 39/ 1999 on human rights. LBH Surabaya called on the President of Indonesia, the head of the East Jawa Regional Police (POLDA Jawa Timur) and the municipal government of Surabaya to ensure that no discriminative measures against Papuan students will occur again and that the previously mentioned rights will be respected and protected. Moreover, police officers who were involved in offenses against students shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

On 6 July 2018, Anindya Joediono, a law student of Narotama University and activist of the National Student Front (FMN), was sexually harassed by a police officer.

A South Kalimantan journalist who had been detained by the authorities for more than a month after being charged with defamation for his articles died on Sunday. The journalist, identified as Muhammad Yusuf from online news portal KemajuanRakyat.co.id, died at Kotabaru Regional Public Hospital in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, around two weeks after being transferred from the Kotabaru Police's detention center to Kotabaru penitentiary on May 27. Yusuf had been charged with defamation and hate speech as stipulated under the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions Law. He had reportedly complained of breathing difficulties, chest pain and had vomited inside the detention on Saturday before being rushed to the hospital. "Yusuf passed away at exactly 2:30 pm at Kotabaru hospital," said Kotabaru Police chief Adj. Sr. Comm. Suhasto on Monday. The police accused Yusuf of defaming and inciting hate speech against oil palm plantation company PT Multi Sarana Agro Mandiri (MSAM) on KemajuanRakyat.co.id, his social media accounts and during rallies. MSAM is owned by coal-tycoon Syamsudin Andi Arsyad, also known as Haji Isam. Suhasto said the police arrested Yusuf after having consulted the Press Council. The Press Council confirmed that they had investigated 23 of Yusuf's published articles and found that most of them were "unverified, unbalanced and opinionated" and were therefore considered as defying the council's standards of journalism and the 1999 Press Law. The Press Council concluded that those who felt disadvantaged by Yusuf's writings could press charges against him using legislation other than the 1999 Press Law. (nor/ahw)

On 10 June 2018, Muhammad Yusuf, a journalist who wrote about land disputes and was critical of il palm plantation company PT Multi Sarana Agro Mandiri (MSAM) died in police custody.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its member, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), strongly denounce the decision made by the District Court of Banyuwangi, East Java, to convict Heri Budiawan, also known as Budi Pego, for spreading communism. He was charged with violating article 107(a) of Law No. 27 Year 1999 on Crimes against National Security. Budi Pego is an environmental rights defender, who opposed the development of Gold Mine in Tumpang Pitu, East Java. The District Court sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment, deviating from the seven years sentence that was originally sought by the Prosecutor. The Government has falsely accused Budi Pego of promoting communism and having failed to submit a written notification to hold a protest.[1] An appeal in his case has been submitted by YLBHI on 29 January 2018. Tumpang Pitu had been designated as a conservation forest. However, former Forestry Ministry, Zulkifli Hasan, issued a decree to change its status to become a production forest in 2013. The local community has been opposing mining activities in the area since 1997. Budi Pego was arrested on 4 September 2017 for allegedly displaying a banner with a hammer-and-sickle logo during a protest against gold mining activities in the Gold Mine in Tumpang Pitu on 4 April 2017. The accusation was fabricated as none of the witnesses recount the existence of such images when the banners were made and displayed.[2] What happened to Budi Pego represents a massive oppression of human rights defenders. It sets a bad precedent for the protection of human rights defenders who are doing their legitimate work. Similar judicial harassment of other environmental rights defenders happened in different areas in Indonesia, such as what was experienced by Joko Priatno in his struggle to oppose mining activities in Kendeng Mountains, Central Java. YLBHI recorded 61 incidents of criminalisation cases against human rights defenders, who were fighting for the right to the protection of the environment or for land rights in their territories throughout 2017 in Indonesia alone. The oppression of Budi Pego and other human rights defenders is clearly an attempt to silence people's participation in development projects and their criticism on issues of public interest. It also violates people's right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Indonesia. Such restrictions are often used as a tool to silence opposition to the Government, mainly against communities that include human rights defenders, notably environmental rights defenders. In regard to the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, the joint report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on the proper management of assemblies states that: "States should not require organisers to obtain prior authorisation to hold an assembly, in law or practice. Where a notification system is in place, it must facilitate peaceful assembly, and must not operate as a de facto requirement for prior authorisation'.[3] As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Government of Indonesia failed to live up to its international obligations to protect the right of its people to peacefully assemble and express their opinion. FORUM-ASIA and YLBHI remind the Government of Indonesia of its endorsement of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (A/RES/53/144), specifically of the rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms. FORUM-ASIA and YLBHI strongly denounce the conviction of Budi Pego, which is perpetuating the criminalisation of human rights defenders, and urge the Government to release him immediately. We stand in solidarity with fellow human rights defender, Budi Pego and all others who are facing harassment and persecution for defending their and the community's rights.

On 24 January 2018, District Court of Banyuwangi, East Java convicted Heri Budiawan, also known as Budi Pego, for spreading communism.

West Papuan independence campaigners have called for the release of an activist who has been put on trial for treason after he helped gather signatures for a petition. Yanto Awerkion was arrested for his involvement in a pro-independence petition which gathered more than 1.8m West Papuan signatures. The petition, calling for a free vote on independence, had been outlawed by Indonesian authorities but was smuggled out of the region and delivered to the United Nations in September. The 27-year-old man is deputy chair of the Timika branch of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB). According to his supporters he was arrested after getting on stage to speak about the petition at an event in May. Melanesian leaders condemn UN for turning 'a deaf ear' to West Papua atrocities Read more The Free West Papua campaign said Awerkion's health had seriously deteriorated in jail, and he had not been able to see his wife and daughter. If convicted on the charges relating to sedition and separatism, conspiracy and incitement to commit an offence, Awerkion could face a prison term of between six years and life. His trial was scheduled to begin in Timika on Tuesday. In a video filmed from prison for the Free West Papua movement, Awerkion described himself as a political prisoner. "Because of struggling for Free West Papua, I was arrested by the Indonesian military and police, and I remain in prison," he said. He called for international diplomats to "unite and urge the world and the United Nations to intervene in West Papua and to immediately organise a referendum in West Papua". A spokesman for the Indonesian embassy in Australia, Sade Bimantara, said the rights of people to "peacefully voice their opinions" were protected under Indonesian law, but "when laws are broken, the authorities will act to enforce the law". This included activities supporting or inciting acts that aim to "take over or separate a part of the Indonesian territory and the formation of a new state in its place", he told Guardian Australia. West Papuan women left isolated and beset by violence under Indonesian rule Rochelle Jones Read more Bimantara did not detail Awerkion's alleged actions, but said "separatist groups in Papua and West Papua have been found to commit a number of offences", and noted the death of a policeman last year. Awerkion is not believed to be facing charges involving violence. Bimantara said that was a matter for the prosecutor. The petition asked the UN to "put West Papua back on the decolonisation committee agenda and ensure their right to self?determination ... is respected by holding an internationally supervised vote". West Papua was annexed by Indonesia in 1963, an act formalised six years later with a widely discredited UN-supervised vote known as the Act of Free Choice. The only voters were 1,063 people selected by the military and compelled to vote in favour of Indonesian annexation. "In the West Papuan people's petition we hand over the bones of the people of West Papua to the United Nations and the world," exiled independence leader Benny Wenda told the UN when the petition was handed over. "After decades of suffering, decades of genocide, decades of occupation, we open up the voice of the West Papuan people which lives inside this petition. My people want to be free." Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said at the time the petition was "purely a publicity stunt with no credibility". The petition also called for the appointment of a special representative to investigate human rights abuses but was ultimately rebuffed by the UN's decolonisation committee because West Papua was outside its mandate. There are frequent reports of mass arrests and violence by Indonesian police and military forces against separatists and their supporters, but information is difficult to verify because of restrictions on foreign media entering the territory. The leader of the Greens, Richard Di Natale, called for the Australian government to make entreaties on behalf of Awerkion and other prisoners, and to support West Papua's calls for a UN-backed referendum.

On 9 January 2018, Yanto Awerkion was arrested for his involvement in a pro-independence petition which gathered more than 1.8m West Papuan signatures.

Indonesian political activist, journalist, and filmmaker Dandhy Dwi Laksono has been reported to the police for online defamation after he compared former president and current PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri with Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi amid rising concerns in Indonesia about the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. At 2pm yesterday, a volunteer wing of PDI-P called DPD Repdem reported Dandhy to the East Java Police for his Facebook post, which they allege to be defamatory to both Megawati and her party cadre President Joko Widodo under the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE), a highly controversial and ambiguously worded law that has been used to criminalize legitimate criticism. In the police report, DPD Repdem said they had a problem with a paragraph in Dandhy's post, uploaded last Sunday, which suggested that there is a similarity between Suu Kyi and Megawati's leaderships of their respective governing political parties. Dandhy argued that both administrations, through "political officers" taking the helm as heads of state, caused humanitarian crises in their respective countries: the attacks on the Rohingya people in Myanmar and the increase in the imprisonment of Papuan independence activists in Indonesia. "Dandhy's writing suggested that Megawati, PDI-P, and President Jokowi, who won the election (in 2014), have committed crimes against Papuans," said DPD Repdem East Java Chairman Abdi Edison, as quoted by Tirto yesterday. "On the whole, (Dandhy's) opinion was clearly intended to take advantage of the Rohingya incidents in Myanmar in order to insult and spread hatred of Megawati Soekarnoputri as the chairwoman of PDI-P and Joko Widodo as the president who is backed by PDI-P." The police have yet to investigate Dandhy based on the report. Responding to the police report, Dandhy today wrote a Facebook post condemning the ambiguity of UU ITE and its apparent use in silencing legitimate criticism like his. However, he stressed that the report against him pales in comparison to the injustices suffered by many oppressed people such as by the aforementioned Papuans, the farmers in Kendeng protesting the construction of a cement factory, as well as the attacks on the Rohingya in Myanmar. Dandhy also wrote that he had received numerous messages of support, including from lawyers willing to give legal aid in his defense should the need arise. Many netizens have condemned the police report against Dandhy, as they don't believe those who present legitimate criticism, backed up with factual data, should be charged with defamation. Defamation under UU ITE is punishable by up to four years in prison.

On 6 September 2017, Dandhy Dwi Laksono has been reported to the police for online defamation after he compared former president and current PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri with Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi amid rising concerns in Indonesia about the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.

On 15 August 2017, two anti-mining activists, Sebastian Hutabarat (47) and Johannes Marbun (37) were attacked by group of people affiliated with stone mining activity in Silimalombu Village, Onanrunggu sub-District, Samosir Regency. Because of the attack, the two men who often raising their voice for saving the environment in Toba Lake area, suffered wound in the face, head, and hands. Two of them had submitted report to the police station in Samosir on the same day, after previously having medical check-up in a hospital nearby.

On 15 August 2017, two anti-mining activists were attacked by group of people affiliated with stone mining activity in Samosir, North Sumatra

Indonesian police detained and then deported the two reporters, who were filming a documentary for Indonesia's Garuda Airlines, for lacking "necessary documents from related institutions," without elaborating. The authorities have barred the two journalists from returning to Indonesia for at least six months to ensure they get the message. The message is that there's a glaring gap between the rhetoric of Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's announced opening of Papua to foreign media, and the grim reality that journalists are still blocked from reporting there. In May 2015, President Jokowi said he would be lifting of the 25-year de facto ban on foreign media access to Papua. That policy change was supposed to end the farce of placing foreign journalists in legal limbo by denying or failing to approve their reporting applications for Papua. But abuses of media freedom for foreign journalists in Papua, along with visa denial and blacklisting of reporters who challenge the official chokehold on Papua access, has continued unabated. That's mainly because Jokowi has singularly failed to issue a formal written directive instructing Indonesia's bureaucracy and security forces to lift these restrictions. But it's also due to the deeply rooted perception among many government and security agency officials that foreign media access to Papua is a recipe for instability in a region already troubled by widespread public dissatisfaction with Jakarta, and a small but persistent armed independence movement. That reflexive official paranoia extends beyond journalists and also impedes access to Papua for international development agencies, United Nations officials and foreign academics that Indonesian authorities perceive as hostile. The government needs to understand that blocking media access on overbroad security grounds doesn't just deter foreign news reporting about Papua, it raises troubling questions about what the government might be hiding there. It's time for Jokowi to issue his long-delayed written directive lifting restrictions on foreign media access to Papua, and appropriately punish government officials who refuse to comply.

On 19 March 2017, Indonesia has deported two French journalists for committing visa violations while shooting a documentary film in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, an official said Sunday.

Sri Bintang Pamungkas was arrested in his home in Cibubur, in the outskirts of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, on early Friday morning, December 2. The civil society leader of People Power Indonesia 2016 - a group that aims to repeal the constitution before it is amended - was supposed to join the rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama later that day. Ahok, an ethnic Chinese-Christian politician, a double minority in the world's most populous Muslim nation, is accused by conservative Muslim groups of committing blasphemy. Pamungkas and 9 others were accused of attempting to impeach the current government led by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. Among them are high profile individuals including rock musician Ahmad Dhani; human rights activist Ratna Sarumpaet; retired two-star Army general Kivlan Zein; and Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, sister of former president Megawati. They were arrested on treason charges under Article 107 of the penal code (KUHP). In a short video circulating on social media, Pamungkas was enjoying his cup of morning coffee on his porch when police officers handed him the warrant. "Honey, I'm being arrested," Pamungkas said to his wife who recorded the video on her mobile phone. "Why?" his wife, Ernalia, was heard saying from behind the camera. "They have the power to. Of course they can," Pamungkas replied. Pamungkas and People Power originally planned to occupy the parliament building, asking the council to revoke Jokowi's presidency for, according to him, the former Jakarta governor's inadequacy to follow the "people's mandate". 7 people were released later that day because the police did not have sufficient evidence. Pamungkas in still in detention, along with two others who are still behind bars for allegedly insulting the President on social media, and violating the Internet Transaction Law. Racial undertones The December 2 rally was the third in a series of protests demanding Ahok to step down from his post as governor, for his remarks that allegedly insulted Islam. The controversy started in September 2016 when he accused his opponents of fooling the electorate by misusing a Quranic verse, to sway voters to not vote for him in the upcoming gubernatorial election. He has apologized for the remarks but is still being prosecuted for blasphemy. Ahok is now a suspect and is due to face trial soon. If proven guilty he could be jailed for up to 5 years. But the issue has since spiraled to include other aspects. Critics have since accused the President -who was inaugurated two years ago- of being inadequate to manage the country. Ahok became governor after Jokowi won the presidential election in 2014. As Jokowi's deputy governor at the time, Ahok assumed the position. Ahok himself is an outlier in the Indonesian political landscape. He was the former regent of Belitung Timur, a small region in Sumatera island, and was also a member of parliament before running as Jokowi's deputy - but has always been considered as the "outsider" who came to the capital. During the 200,000-people-strong rally on 2 December, some posters read, "Jail Ahok" and "Crush the Chinese". The race card used against Ahok is not new within Indonesia's politics. It is deeply rooted in the New Order regime under former general Soeharto's authoritarian regime. President Soeharto -who ruled Indonesia for more than 3 decades- banned expressions of Chinese culture and politically segregated the Chinese, because of suspected ties to communism. Rally organizers and protestors used the Islam card which is an appealing pull for Indonesian Muslim voters. One of Ahok's opponents in next year's elections, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, is the son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who led the country from 2004-2014. Conservative Islamist groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) -one of the main rally organizers- have on social media openly supported Yudhoyono's gubernatorial candidacy. Shrinking civic spaces Social media users in Indonesia are divided on the arrests. Some applaud the police force for attempting to prevent an impeachment attempt, while others see it as a violation of human rights. "There seems to be no clear grounds for the arrest of these people," said Benny Agus Prima, Human Rights Defender Programme Associate at the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). Prima stressed that the government must protect its people's rights to express their freedom of expression. "The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are constitutional rights and guaranteed by international human rights law," he said. "Exercising those rights is a foundation of democratic society." The freedom to associate and to assemble, to express written and and oral opinions in Indonesia, are regulated under Article 28 of the 1945 constitution. If proven guilty, those arrested could be jailed for 15 years up to a life sentence. Prima regretted the detention of the individuals, which he said was a sign of the shrinking civic space, not only in the country but also in the region as well. Civic space is where people can freely exercise their basic civil rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association. This kind of problem is not unique to Indonesia. During the 3-day conference entitled "Youth at the heart of the 2030 Agenda: The Case4Space" held in Bangkok, Thailand, panelists shared how there are 3.2 billion people living in countries where civic space is under threat. "We're seeing a trend of shrinking civic space in Asia Pacific with recent examples of the criminalization of activists," Prima said, citing an example of Maria Chin Abdullah of Malaysia. Abdullah is the leader of the Malaysian pro-democracy alliance Bersih, who was detained in November 2016 for organizing a mass rally calling on Prime Minister Najib Razak to resign over a corruption scandal. But in the end, according to Prima, what Pamungkas and his peers did was still in accordance to the law. "They demanded the parliament to review Widodo's presidency, not bearing arms asking[him] to step down," Prima said. The arrests, he said, should not have taken place in the first place as it would take Indonesia -a country who adopted democracy 16 years ago- back to autocratic state. Rozinul Aqli, an Indonesian student at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, also voiced his disapproval in Twitter, saying, "[Widodo] is increasingly becoming more comfortable in borrowing a page from Soeharto's playbook". "Ideally, there should be clear violent acts for something to deserve the label of treason," Rozinul said in an email to Rappler. "In practice, however, this article[Article 107 of the penal code] has been used to criminalize many activists that were not, strictly speaking, threatening national security," he said. Freedom of expression at risk Prima further said this case would set a bad precedent for human rights defenders. "What I fear the most is, this criminalization will restrict human rights defenders' freedom of expression," he said. Although he also noted that the people who were arrested should respect Ahok's freedom expression as well. "When we're talking about freedom of expression, we should respect others' freedom to express their thoughts as well," Prima said. "We can't force those who, let's say, commit human rights violations by also violating others' human rights." Rozinul added that rubber articles, such as Article 107 of the penal code, are problematic as they deprive citizens the right to legal certainty. "If some of us are alarmed by this development, it is because we know that using rubber articles to silence dissents was one of the cornerstones of the New Order regime," he said

On 2 December 2016, 10 activists were arrested and accused of attempting to impeach the current government led by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in Jakarta, Indonesia. The group was supposed to join the rally demanding the Jakarta Governor Ahok to step down, for his remarks that allegedly insulted Islam.

12 April 2016, Dekai junction, Papua Province On 12 April 2016, around 8 am, West Papuan activists in support of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) distributed leaflets in Dekai. The leaflet was an invitation to attend a demonstration organized by KNPB to support the effort of United Liberation Movement for West Papua to be a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. At around noon that day, three police security vehicles and the Mobile Brigade of the police arrived at the location. They pointed guns at members of the KNPB and shouted to them not to run. Some of the activists succeeded to escape. The police arrested Mr. Yupi Sobolim, Mr. Unyil Kobak, Mr. Erson Suhun, Mr. Lendeng Omu, Mr. Leni Busup and Mr. Natu Dapla. They were taken to the Police Station in Yakuhimo where they were allegedly tortured and subjected to a series of inhuman and degrading treatments. Their heads and faces were beaten with a hammer, they were ordered to strip, eat money and dirt, do push-ups and to sing the Indonesian anthem. Their feet were tied and they were dragged across the floor while the police trampled them with boots. The police allegedly proceeded with threats to torture, to hang and to kill them. They were all released later the same day. The police also confiscated one KNPB flag, 7 motorcycles and 3 million Indonesian Rupiah (equivalent to 228 USD) that had been donated by passer-by supporting the initiative. 13 April 2016, Merauke, Papua Province At approximately 8:00 am on 13 April 2016, around 100 police officers came to the joint offices of the Parliament of People of Merauke Regency (PRD) and Secretariat of West Papua National Committee (KNPB). The police were fully armed and were accompanied by two police vehicles meant to control demonstration. The police entered the building and arrested 14 persons, namely: Ms. Panggrasia Yeem; Mr. Petrus Katem; Mr. Idelfonsius Katop; Mr. Yohakim Gebze; Mr. Gento Emerikus Dop; Mr. Charles Sraun; Mr. Emilianus Nemop; Mr. Rikardo Pisakai; Mr. Oktovianus Warip; Mr. Petrus P. Koweng; Mr. Lukas Arawok; Mr. Simon Taulemi; Mr. Paustinus K. Metemko; and Mr. Moses Pasim. They are all members of the West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, KNPB) and People's Regional Parliament (Parlemen Rakyat Daerah, PRD) of Merauke Regency. The above named persons were brought to Merauke police station for further interrogation. They were all released later the same day. The police also confiscated equipment, including six motorcycles, one hard disc, two loud speakers, one phone, one donation box, one whiteboard, one box Referendum's stimulation and several posters.

On 12 and 13 April 2016, total of 20 West Papuan activist were detained arbitrarily over peaceful protest.

Haris Azhar is a human rights defender and coordinator of KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared Victims of Violence, a non governmental organisation that promotes political awareness of State accountability and seeks justice and truth for human rights abuses. KontraS also protects minorities and human rights defenders, carries out judicial accountability of civil liberties and advocacy in post conflict areas in Indonesia. On 28 July 2016, Haris Azhar published an article on Facebook which detailed corrupt activities of Indonesian police officials, including the acceptance of bribes from an international drug trafficking network. On 10 August 2016, the defamation complaint filed against human rights defender Mr Haris Azhar by the National Police, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Armed Forces (TNI) was put on hold while an independent police team investigate the alleged involvement of security officials in drug trafficking. On 28 July 2016, Haris Azhar published an article on Facebook which alleged corrupt activities of police officials, including the acceptance of bribes from an international drug trafficking network. Haris Azhar initially sent the information to the President's Office in an attempt to obtain a swift response from the Government, however, he claims the authorities did not follow up on his request. On 2 August 2016, three government agencies, the BNN, the TNI, and the National Police, filed a joint defamation complaint against Haris Azhar under the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions Law. This law prohibits any person from distributing, transmitting, or making any electronic information accessible which includes "contents of affronts and/or defamation". If convicted, the human rights defender could face up to six years in prison and a one billion Rupiah fine (__�68,700). On 5 August, KontraS established the Independent Emergency Post for Dismantling Apparatus Involvement on Drug Smuggling, in order to collect statements which would provide evidence for the accusations made in the article written by Haris Azhar. It is reported that at least 27 statements from the general public confirming police corruption have been collected. Following public pressure, on 10 August 2016, the National Police announced that they have set up an independent team to investigate the alleged involvement of security officials in drug trafficking. In spite of the announcement, it is reported that the BNN, the TNI and the National Police are continuing their own investigation, and Haris Azhar may still face charges of defamation. Front Line Defenders is concerned at the investigation against Haris Azhar and the potential charges against him.

On 2 August 2016, three Indonesian government agencies, the BNN, the TNI, and the National Police, filed a joint defamation complaint against Haris Azhar, a human rights defender and executive coordinator of KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared Victims of Violence). On 28 July 2016, Haris Azhar published an article on Facebook which alleged corrupt activities of police officials, including the acceptance of bribes from an international drug trafficking network

Defying public pressure, the North Maluku Police have reiterated that they will continue their investigation into alleged defamation by a local activist who uploaded to YouTube a video showing a Ternate Police officer accepting money from a traffic violator. North Maluku Police Chief Brig. Gen. Zulkarnain said that although the police had released the suspect, identified as Adlun Fiqri, a student at Ternate-based Khairun University (Unkhair), the legal process regarding the case was ongoing. "After I watched[the video] I saw that it[Adlun's act] was improper conduct. There was no bribery. The police officer just ticketed[the motorist]," Zulkarnain said as quoted by Antara news agency. Last week, the Ternate Police arrested Adlun for allegedly violating Article 27, point 3, of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law on online defamation which carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison, after he uploaded a video showing a Ternate Police officer accepting Rp 115,000 (US$7.80) from a motorcyclist who was not wearing a helmet.

The Ternate Police arrested Mr. Adlun Fiqri for allegedly violating Article 27, point 3, of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law on online defamation which carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison, after he uploaded a video showing a Ternate Police officer accepting Rp 115,000 (US$7.80) from a motorcyclist who was not wearing a helmet.

The Lumajang Police in East Java have arrested 36 people on suspicion of involvement in a deadly assault that claimed the life of a local farmer who had co-arranged a protest against invasive sand-mining in his village. Lumajang Police's criminal investigation unit chief Adj. Comr. Heri Sugiono said his office, however, had yet to formally name any suspects, as the investigation was still ongoing. "We are still conducting field checks, going deeper into the case. We are also still questioning a number of witnesses," Heri said on Saturday as quoted by tribunnews.com. Earlier on Saturday, a 52-year-old villager named Salim, or Kancil, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict, Pasirian district. The same group also allegedly assaulted Tosan, 51, another villager, leaving him in a critical condition. Three days before the incident, the two victims, along with dozens of fellow villagers, staged a rally to protest against sand-quarrying activities on Watu Pecak Beach, also in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict. The protesters claimed that the mining damaged the environment, leaving holes 5 meters in diameter and a meter deep on the beach. The protest halted the quarrying and blocked dozens of trucks transporting the sand. Heri confirmed that Salim and Tosan had both fallen victim to collective assault. "For now, the case involves an investigation into collective assault," he said. Shortly after the incident, the police arrested two men, identified as Dasir and Siari, whom several witnesses pointed to as the main perpetrators of the assault. Ten others later turned themselves into the police. As of Sunday morning, 36 people were in police custody. Lumajang, a home to 1 million people, is located some 150 kilometers southeast of the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya. Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) East Java chapter director Ony Mahardika said the incident indicated the vested interests of the companies involved in sand-mining in the area. According to Walhi data, 13 companies have been granted sand- and gravel-mining concessions from state-owned forestry firm Perhutani, which owns the land. According to Ony, each of the 13 companies holds a concession with an average area of 5,000 hectares. The site where the villagers staged their rally belongs to PT Indo Multi Mineral Sejahtera, which holds a concession to operate mining activities on a 4,000 ha plot of land. Ony condemned the deadly assault and urged law enforcers to investigate the case. "I have been assured that a member of the presidential staff will visit the crime scene soon," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. According to Walhi data, Salim's death is the first case of an environmental activist being murdered in East Java. However, Ony added, the incident could have been predicted and prevented, as intimidation tactics against antimining protesters had long been used in the province, and reports of such tactics had been filed to both the provincial and national government.

On 26 September 2015, a 52-year-old villager named Salim, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict, Pasirian district. The same group also allegedly assaulted Tosan, 51, another villager, leaving him in a critical condition.Three days before the incident, the two victims, along with dozens of fellow villagers, staged a rally to protest against sand-quarrying activities on Watu Pecak Beach, also in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict. The protesters claimed that the mining damaged the environment, leaving holes 5 meters in diameter and a meter deep on the beach.

At 14:00, 13 May 2015 the United States (US) office of homeland security stopped West Papuan Independence leader Mr Benny Wenda from boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Los Angeles.After check-in staff found an alert on their passport system, Mr Wenda was questioned by an official from the US Homeland Securities bureau office at London's Heathrow Airport.Mr Wenda told the official: "I am a Human Rights campaigner from West Papua, I am exiled and am campaigning for West Papua."After making phone calls the US official told Mr Wenda that his US visa had been revoked, but declined to say why. He told Mr Wenda to contact the US embassy.Mr Wenda was issued the ten year business visa in October 2014 and has already made one visit to Congress staff on Capitol Hill in Washington using it. Mr Wenda was set to embark on a speaker tour of California and Hawaii at the invitation of US groups supporting the Free West Papua Campaign. Pending an explanation from the US Government, the busy two week schedule of events is moving forward without Mr Wenda. Free West Papua campaigners in California are now even more determined to raise the voice that Indonesia seeks to silence.Attempts to get answers by the Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC) in both London and Washington have so far met with silence. The FWPC is keen to know why Benny Wenda's legitimate right to free speech in the US has been quashed and is working to try and get his visa reinstated. Mr Benny Wenda said: "I hope that US officials respond to my situation soon so that I can join the tour. Concern is growing from people, politicians and UN officials in the United States about the ongoing genocide in West Papua. I am keen to follow-through their invitation to address these audiences and to urge political action by the US Government."The FWPC hopes that the issue is no more than a bureaucratic hiccup. However it is not the first time that Mr Wenda has been prevented from travelling to the US. In 2005 and 2013 he had visa applications refused and then went on to successfully apply for his current ten year business visa. Mr Wenda commented: "I have travelled to the USA several times for meetings with political representatives, groups and churches. I also attended meetings with State Department officials who told me they approved of my lobbying and campaigning work. So you can imagine my surprise when my ten year visa was revoked without notice."

On 13 May 2015, West Papuan independence leader Mr. Benny Wenda was stopped by the United States Office of Homeland Security from boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight between London and Los Angeles. Mr. Wenda lives in exile in the United Kingdom. In 2003 he was granted political asylum by the British government following his escape from custody while on trial. He has acted as special representative of the Papuan people in the British Parliament, United Nations and European Parliament.

Amnesty International is expressing concern about the charges against five members of the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), a Papuan pro-independence group. The five - Don Flassy, Lawrence Mehue, Mas Jhon Ebied Suebu, Onesimus Banundi and Elias Ayakeding - were arrested on their return to Papua after meeting Indonesia's Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu on April 10 and have been charged with "rebellion" (makar) under Article 106 of Indonesia's Criminal Code, Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday. The Indonesian authorities have used this article, along with Article 110 of the Criminal Code, to criminalize dozens of peaceful pro-independence political activists over the last decade. Amnesty International continues to call for their immediate and unconditional release. Amnesty International does not take a position on the political status of Papua, or of any other province of Indonesia. The organization believes that the right to freedom of expression includes the right to peacefully advocate for referendums, independence or any other political solution that do not involve discrimination, hostility or violence. Amnesty said the visit of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to Papua on May 8 presented a real opportunity for him to show that his government will be shifting away from the repressive policies of the past and will seek a credible solution to address the human rights violations faced by Papuans. Amnesty said the President should begin by publicly instructing the security forces to respect and protect the right of all Papuans to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience. UPDATE: 12/05/2015 The leader of Indonesia on Saturday pardoned five political prisoners in Papua Province as part of an effort to address human rights abuses in the country's restive eastern region.Since taking office in October, President Joko Widodo, who has vowed to improve economic conditions and address decades of abuses by the Indonesian military, held a formal ceremony inside the Abepura prison near Jayapura, the provincial capital, where the five men were serving prison sentences ranging from 19 years to life for a raid on a military weapons arsenal in 2003 that killed two army soldiers. "This is part of the government's wholehearted efforts to stop the stigma of conflict existing in Papua," Mr. Joko said at a news conference after the ceremony.The Papua region, which consists of Papua and West Papua Provinces, lies on the western half of New Guinea Island. Indonesia annexed the region from the Netherlands in 1963 and incorporated it six years later after a referendum supported by the United Nations. Since then, a small group of armed separatists, who denounced the vote as rigged, have fought a low-level guerrilla insurgency against the Indonesian government, while civilian activist groups have called for a referendum on independence. The Indonesian security forces, both military and police, have continually cracked down on separatism and dissent over the decades. In December, they shot to death five people who were protesting the beating of a young boy by soldiers. According to Papuans Behind Bars, an online advocacy group, there are dozens of other Papuan political prisoners for acts such as waving the outlawed Morning Star separatist flag or demonstrating against Indonesian rule, moves that are considered treason.Human Rights Watch called on Mr. Joko on Saturday to release all remaining political prisoners and those awaiting trial for treason and other related offenses in Papua.

On 10 April 2015, five members of the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), a Papuan pro-independence group, were arrested. They have been charged with "rebellion" (makar) under Article 106 of Indonesia's Criminal Code The five, Don Flassy, Lawrence Mehue, Mas Jhon Ebied Suebu, Onesimus Banundi and Elias Ayakeding, were arrested by the Indonesian authorities on their return to Papua after meeting Indonesia's Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu.