Watchdog Urges Jokowi to Promote Human Rights Issues

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono expressed the organization’s disappointment to President Jokowi on the human rights situation in Indonesia. Their concerns were articulated in a letter sent to the president on Wednesday.

“The letter is ten pages long in English. It was officially sent to the president and also to his staffers, a number of ministers, and state officials,” Andreas told Tempo today.

He described that the letter contained several recommendations for Jokowi to promote the human rights issues in his second upcoming term. The letter elaborates in detail about the freedom of religious beliefs, women’s rights, the rights of sexual minorities or LGBT, and the rights of people with disabilities.

The letter also touched on Indonesia’s past human rights violations by state authorities, the freedom of expression, the issues regarding Papua, the rights of traditional residents, and the country’s role in promoting human rights issues in international forums.

“We intend to urge Mr. President to use your second term to promote human rights issues for the Indonesian people, especially minority groups and other groups that are marginalized in Indonesia,” said the letter, which was signed by Human Rights Watch Asia’s Division executive director Brad Adams.

Human Rights Watch also highlighted the issues of the growing trend of religious intolerance and the rise of intolerant Islamism. The letter also mentioned the government’s failure to protect religious minority groups from discrimination and violence.

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