Indonesia

Indonesia continues to struggle with a legacy of mass human rights violations. The country has long been involved in state-sponsored community violence, compounded by rights violations by security forces, violent extremist groups, and big business ventures competing for natural resources. In the context of impunity, Indonesia struggles to resolve the root causes of conflict, making it vulnerable to social divisions and violence. Despite this, it has increasingly backed away from commitments to accounting for mass violations, and continues to respond to unrest with torture and violence.

Twenty-three years post-Reformasi, Indonesia has made headway in improving accountability, inserting human rights protections in its constitution, creating judicial mechanisms to try crimes against humanity and genocide, and establishing an anti corruption commission. However, Indonesia’s court system weakened by decades of repression was unable to deliver justice. Every single accused person brought to trial for crimes against humanity has been acquitted at first instance or on appeal. A truth and reconciliation commission law was passed in 2004 then annulled two years later without being established. Promises for local truth commissions in Papua (2001) and Aceh (2006) as provided under national legislation establishing two autonomous regions continue to be ignored. To date, thousands of victims still experience discrimination and neglect.

Efforts to strengthen the rule of law and human rights as part of Indonesia’s transition to democracy is put at risk when total impunity for past violations remain intact. In Indonesia, AJAR works with civil society groups and networks to help show the “missing link” connecting impunity for past violations and ongoing challenges faced by this country. Our current programmes include support for the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh), advocacy and assistance to Timorese stolen children who were involuntarily brought to Indonesia during the occupation, and supporting current transitional justice efforts and community-based initiatives with survivors in Indonesia.

Priority Issues

In 1975, the Indonesian military invasion of Timor-Leste heralded a 24-year period of brutal suppression of the pro-independence movement, causing upwards of 200,000 deaths. During this period, thousands of Timorese children were taken from their homes to Indonesia, to live with military families, and often placed in religious boarding schools. Many Timorese families have for decades been putting flowers on the graves of children they believed had died. With the cooperation and assistance of the governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia, AJAR has been tracing these “stolen children”, identifying and reuniting them with their families.
During the anti-communist purge in Indonesia (1965)–also known as Indonesian politicide and Indonesian mass-killings–about 500,000 to 1,000,000 people with suspected ties with the communist party were murdered, disappeared, or forcefully detained. Beyond the tragic event, the survivors of the mass imprisonment then still face further structural violence and socio-cultural and economic disadvantage. AJAR has actively worked alongside the survivors to raise the awareness on the human rights violations and widespread violence and sexual abuses, engaged with youth human rights defenders in Indonesia, and ensured intergenerational learning through series of training and advocacy. Understanding that all of these are vital components of transitional justice.
Years after the introduction of West Papua’s special autonomy, the people of Papua still face ongoing structural and cultural violence rooted in the long history of racism. Presently, the West Papua province is a site of mass natural resources extraction for the regime’s economic interest, resulting in environmental catastrophe in the land of Papua. Consequently, the indigenous people of Papua suffers the hazardous impact of forest loss and degradation, on top of the ongoing structural and cultural disadvantages. AJAR, using participatory research, documents the structural violence and discrimination the indigenous community, especially women, has to face. AJAR also works alongside the local community and facilitates knowledge sharing to build the capacity of local organizations.
In 2013, the government of Aceh finally form the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)–the first TRC in Indonesia. However, the pathway to justice for the victims of gross human rights violations is still progressing. During the years of violent conflict between Indonesia’s military forces (TNI) and Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM), civilians were the ones who needed to endure the consequences. Approximately 10,000 to 30,000 civilians were murdered and many were unlawfully detained. In the journey to truth and reparation, AJAR assists the TRC in developing the human rights defenders’ capacity to document the past violence, support the survivors, engage with international partners, and conduct knowledge sharing with the TRCs in other countries. AJAR also conducts the trainings to equip the human rights defenders in Aceh with the transitional justice perspective to properly manage the conflict in the future.
Presently, Indonesia is facing a shrinking civic space, with the rise of violent intolerant groups—resulting from the lack of accountability for past violence and insufficient reforms of implicated situation. This leads to the portrait of current Indonesia, where the perpetrators of sectarian and religious violence are not held accountable and the protection of minority rights is often minimum and poorly implemented. The unresolved causes of communal violence in Poso, ongoing human trafficking practices in East Nusa Tenggara, and ongoing violence against minorities—deeply rooted in intolerance are all only a fickle illustration of the lingering impact of impunity in Indonesia. AJAR alongside local CSOs have conducted a series of training for young Human Rights Defenders (HRD) to uncover the root causes of conflict in their respective community, to understand why impunity still persists and how we may collaborate to eradicate impunity.

Highlights of Programmes in the Past Year

Promoting awareness and understanding

Research, including interviews with hundreds of victims of serious human rights violations, examined the challenges faced by the pandemic in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The research, combined with practical assistance, helped victims develop coping mechanisms to survive.

The ‘school of human rights and social justice’ for young students in Timor-Leste continued. This year more than 100 university students attended activities, building their commitment to fight against the recurrence of past violations.

Strengthening linkages and increasing social capital of human rights defenders

By linking the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Timor-Leste’s Centro Nacional Chega! or CNC, AJAR facilitated exchanges of knowledge and strategies on truth-seeking, reconciliation, and designing urgent reparations programs. Young people from Papua, and other parts of Indonesia and Timor-Leste, visited the Aceh TRC to deepen their understanding of the work of truth commissions.

As a member of the Global Initiative for Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation, AJAR and partners worked to identify best practices for supporting women survivors of sexual violence, and children born of rape, in Timor-Leste, Nepal, Bosnia Herzegovina, and South Africa. Comparative studies on searching mechanisms in Latin America and Timor-Leste, and peace processes in Aceh and El Salvador were developed.

Contributing technical assistance, along with policy and legal inputs

AJAR contributed to regional and national links to UN bodies. Inputs, along with victims’ testimonies, were provided to UN events on reparations, focusing on empowering Timor-Leste’s stolen children.

Regional: Network of Rights and Memory Initiatives Gathers for “Protecting Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in the Asia and Pacific Region” Summit in Indonesia

From 25 to 30 September 2022, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC), and...

Report Launching on Pathways to Transitional Justice in Indonesia: Victims’ Agency in the Face of Impunity

Report Launching on Pathways to Transitional Justice in Indonesia: Victims’ Agency in the Face of Impunity

28 August 2022 – Since 2020, AJAR has conducted nationwide research on the transitional justice mechanisms for survivors of past...

Indonesia-Timor-Leste relations: Good neighbors and unfinished business

This article was published in the paper edition of The Jakarta Post with the title " Indonesia-Timor-Leste relations: Good neighbors and...

Joint NGO Submission for Universal Periodic Review

Joint NGO Submission for Universal Periodic Review

Jakarta, 31 March 2022 – AJAR alongside other NGOs in Indonesia sent three submissions for the 41st Session of the...

Indonesia: Handover of Truth and Reconciliation Commission Findings and Recommendations to Aceh Parliament, A Milestone for Truth and Justice in Indonesia

31 December 2021  — After convening three public hearings and documenting more than 5,000 statements from victims of human rights...

Screenings of AJAR’s Award-Winning Animated Films “Konta-Sai” and “8:45” in Bali

Bali, 27 November 2021 - Screenings of AJAR’s two animated films, “8:45”and the award-winning “Konta-Sai”, took place with human rights...

AJAR’s Short Film “Konta-sai” Awarded Best Film and Best Animation at ReelOzInd! Australia Indonesia Short Film Competition 2021

We are delighted and proud to announce that our animated documentary titled "Konta-sai" has been awarded the Best Film and...

[WEBINAR] The Need of Truth and Justice for Victims and Family of Disappeared, Lessons from Asia and Latin America

30 August 2021 - To commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, AJAR and our partners held...

Pocketbook “Indigenous Women Protecting the Forest”

In the period between November 2019 and February 2020, a total of 100 indigenous women in five locations -- Boven...

Mother Hearth: A Guide to Participatory Learning on Land and Natural Resources with Indigenous Women in Papua

In the period between November 2019 and February 2020, a total of 100 indigenous women in five locations -- Boven...

13 Years of Indonesian-Timor-Leste CTF Report; Indonesian-Timor Leste Community Initiative Responds to Limited Role of the State in Continuing KKP Recommendations

23 July 2021 - In Indonesia, thousands of children from Timor-Leste (now already adults) are still separated from their families...

All the Birds are Gone: Indigenous Women Speak Out Against Forest Loss in Papua

  “I still have my nature [traditional land], but the police always come to hunt. We put up a signpost...

Resources

Urgent Steps to Ensure Right to Remedy for Victims of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in ASEAN

For over a year, the Transitional Justice Asia Network collected...

Pathways to Transitional Justice in Indonesia: Victims’ Agency in the Face of Impunity

Shrinking civic space in Indonesia jeopardizes citizens' rights and hinders...

Transitional Justice Fact Sheet: Countries

Transitional Justice Fact Sheet: Countries

Many Asian countries have faced a history of mass human...

An Innovative Response to Disappearances: Non-Judicial Search Mechanisms in Latin America and Asia

Enforced disappearance, which has been used as a tool of...

Universal Periodic Review – Human Rights Situation in Indonesia: Impunity and Ongoing Gross Human Rights Violations

Universal Periodic Review – Human Rights Situation in Indonesia: Impunity and Ongoing Gross Human Rights Violations

4th Cycle, 41st Session (7-18 November 2022) To date, Indonesia...

Universal Periodic Review – Human Rights Situation in Indonesia: Violence Against Women in Papua

Universal Periodic Review – Human Rights Situation in Indonesia: Violence Against Women in Papua

4th Cycle, 41st Session (7-18 November 2022) This report is...

Universal Periodic Review – Human Rights Situation in Indonesia Specific Focus on West Papua

Universal Periodic Review – Human Rights Situation in Indonesia Specific Focus on West Papua

4th Cycle, 41st Session (7-18 November 2022) This is a...

Transitional Justice in Australia and the Pacific Series: Transitional Justice in Papua

During the New Order, mass human rights violations took place...