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





Our Program
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.

Indonesia: New In-depth Report on Human Rights Violations in Aceh, in Collaboration with Project Multatuli and Sinar Pidie
In mid-August 2022, the Washington D.C. District Court publicly released documents containing the testimonies of 11 victims of alleged human...

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
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
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...
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...

Comparative Research on Gender & Reparations in South-East Asia: Aceh, Indonesia
Aceh has maintained its formal peace after turbulent civil conflicts,...

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

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