{"id":1247,"date":"2016-03-12T09:01:43","date_gmt":"2016-03-12T09:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.csbronline.org\/?p=1247"},"modified":"2016-03-24T20:20:44","modified_gmt":"2016-03-24T20:20:44","slug":"csbr-president-widodo-indonesian-govt-must-uphold-constitutional-rights-of-indonesian-citizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/?p=1247","title":{"rendered":"CSBR: President Widodo &#038; Indonesian Govt. Must Uphold Constitutional Rights of Indonesian Citizens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.csbronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Logo-for-Web.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-956\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-956 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.csbronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Logo-for-Web.png\" alt=\"CSBR Logo\" width=\"277\" height=\"151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Logo-for-Web.png 806w, https:\/\/csbronline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Logo-for-Web-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>President Joko Widodo &amp; the Indonesian Government Must Uphold the Constitutional Rights of Indonesian Citizens<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is gravely concerned about the on-going attacks against the civil, political and human rights of Indonesian citizens of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.<\/p>\n<p>What began in January 2016 with a spiteful comment from the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher education that LGBTIQ people \u2018corrupted the morals of the nation\u2019, has turned into an almost two-month long series of attacks and an increasingly hostile climate spreading across different cities and provinces in Indonesia.<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\"><sup><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As a Coalition of over 30 civil society organizations and academic institutions working to uphold sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies, <strong>CSBR urges President Joko Widodo to unequivocally come out in support of Indonesia\u2019s LGBTIQ citizens,<\/strong> <strong>to uphold democratic rights and ensure protection from discrimination and harassment<\/strong>, and <strong>to call for an end to the hateful and discriminatory rhetoric being propagated by government officials.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To this end, President Joko Widodo and the Indonesian government must take all measures to protect the constitutional rights<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\"><sup><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> of Indonesian citizens, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the right to education and the right to participate in and benefit from social, cultural and scientific life (Art. 28C(1));<\/li>\n<li>the right to collective struggle for rights (Art. 28C(2));<\/li>\n<li>the rights to equal recognition, guarantees, protection and fair treatment under the law (Art. 28D(1) and 28I(1));<\/li>\n<li>the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, expression, opinion, assembly and association (Art. 28E);<\/li>\n<li>the right to be free from discriminative treatment based upon any grounds whatsoever and the right to protection from such discriminative treatment (Art. 28I(2)).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a member of the United Nations, and as a state party to the ICCPR and the ICESCR, the Indonesian government also has a duty to ensure non-discrimination, academic freedom, and access to education, to enable citizens to make informed decisions and autonomous choices on all matters relating to themselves, including their beliefs, opinions, and identities.<\/p>\n<p>CSBR applauds the strong leadership demonstrated by KOMNAS-HAM, Indonesia\u2019s independent National Human Rights Commission, which has consistently applied clear, rational and informed juridical reasoning to highlight the unconstitutionality of attempts to restrict the rights of all those who would seek to engage in public discussions, support services, and advocacy for rights, protection and education on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\"><sup><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Background &amp; Further Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In January 2016, the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education called\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au\/lgbt-indonesians-on-campus-too-hot-to-handle\/\">to ban a Support Group and Resource Centre on Sexuality Studies (SGRC) that offered LGBTIQ-friendly counselling services to students on Indonesian university campuses<\/a>. His statement set off a chain reaction of spiteful attacks by militant groups, the police, and other government officials against civil society and LGBTIQ individuals.<\/p>\n<p>Since January, numerous government officials have made hateful statements against the LGBTI community. This includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Legislator and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Nasir Djamil stating that <em>\u201cThe LGBT community should not be allowed to grow or be given room to conduct its activities. Even more serious is those LGBT members who go into universities with scientific studies, or hold discussion groups\u201d<\/em>;<a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\"><sup><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> in contravention of Articles 28D(1) and 28D(2) which upholds the rights to education and participation in technology, arts, and culture, and the collective struggle for rights.<\/li>\n<li>Culture and Primary Education Minister Anies Baswedan telling parents and teachers \u201c<em>that LGBT people were deviant and a danger to adolescents<\/em>\u201d,<a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\"><sup><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> and the National Broadcasting Commission banning content on TV and radio that \u2018normalizes\u2019 being LGBTIQ, in the name of \u2018protecting children and adolescents\u2019.<a href=\"#_ftn6\" name=\"_ftnref6\"><sup><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> Such rhetoric ignores the Constitutional rights of LGBTIQ children to protection from violence and discrimination (Art. 28B(2)).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Yuddy Chrisnandi, who stated that \u201c<em>Of course it is inappropriate for civil servants to be [homosexual]<\/em>\u201d, despite Art. 28D(3) guaranteeing \u201cEvery citizen shall have the right to obtain equal opportunities in government\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu labelling the LGBTIQ movement a \u2018<em>proxy war\u2019<\/em> that is a greater threat to national security than nuclear weapons;<sup><sup><sup><a href=\"#_ftn7\" name=\"_ftnref7\">[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/sup><sup><sup><a href=\"#_ftn7\" name=\"_ftnref7\"><\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Indonesia\u2019s Communications and Information Ministry has proposed and begun drafting a bill that will ban websites that \u2018promote LGBT propaganda\u2019 that could \u201c<em>damage national security, identity, culture and the faith of Indonesians<\/em>.\u201d<sup> <a href=\"#_ftn8\" name=\"_ftnref8\"><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The proliferation of fear-mongering and hateful rhetoric has also emboldened vigilante and militant groups to harass civil society and succeed in shutting down LGBTIQ events and spaces:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>On 4 February, a militant group harassed participants at an event on access to justice for LGBTIQ people in Jakarta, and had the police shut the event down;<sup><sup><sup><a href=\"#_ftn9\" name=\"_ftnref9\">[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/sup><sup><sup><a href=\"#_ftn9\" name=\"_ftnref9\"><\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>On 23 February, the police turned against LGBTI advocates at a public demonstration in Yogykarta who were rallying to counter an anti-LGBTIQ demonstration;<a href=\"#_ftn10\" name=\"_ftnref10\"><sup><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><sup><sup>,<sup><a href=\"#_ftn11\" name=\"_ftnref11\">[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/sup><sup><sup><a href=\"#_ftn11\" name=\"_ftnref11\"><\/a><\/sup><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>On 24 February, the Al Fatah Pesantren Waria, a longstanding community supported religious boarding school for<em> waria <\/em>(transgender) students, was closed in Yogyakarta.<a href=\"#_ftn12\" name=\"_ftnref12\"><sup><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These are but a few of the many statements and incidences that have been reported on in mainstream media in recent months, and they highlight a clear lack of political will to uphold the rule of law or ensure access to justice.<\/p>\n<p>As Vera da Costa, an activist from long standing Indonesian LGBT organization GAYa NUSANTARA shared with us,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe space for LGBTIQ people to exercise their rights to freedom of assembly and association in Indonesia is now very limited.\u00a0The security of individuals and organizations is in jeopardy; we are being threatened and there is no protection from the government.\u00a0Meanwhile the media sensationalizes the news in a negative fashion, so that the public is increasingly misinterpreting what is at stake here.\u00a0We want the President to intervene and take action to protect us as citizens, because it is the government officials of his cabinet that are attacking us in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies is deeply concerned for the security and safety of our friends and allies who are organizing and living within such a climate of fear and insecurity, with no protection or recourse from the judicial or legal systems in place.<\/p>\n<p>We join Indonesian civil society\u2019s call and urge President Joko Widodo to take immediate action to end the harassment and to uphold the civil, political and human rights of Indonesia\u2019s LGBTIQ citizens.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n12 March 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\n<\/em><em>For more information, please contact CSBR: <\/em><a href=\"mailto:coordinator@csbronline.org\"><em>coordinator@csbronline.org<\/em><\/a><em>, and GAYa NUSANTARA: <\/em><a href=\"mailto:gayanusantara@gmail.com\"><em>gayanusantara@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><em>.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\"><sup><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> Further details below.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\"><sup><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ilo.org\/wcmsp5\/groups\/public\/---ed_protect\/---protrav\/---ilo_aids\/documents\/legaldocument\/wcms_174556.pdf\">http:\/\/www.ilo.org\/wcmsp5\/groups\/public\/&#8212;ed_protect\/&#8212;protrav\/&#8212;ilo_aids\/documents\/legaldocument\/wcms_174556.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\"><sup><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/05\/komnas-ham-slams-vilification-lgbt-officials.html\">http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/05\/komnas-ham-slams-vilification-lgbt-officials.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\"><sup><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/01\/25\/lgbt-not-welcome-university-minister.html\">http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/01\/25\/lgbt-not-welcome-university-minister.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\"><sup><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/13\/luhut-defends-lgbt-groups.html\">http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/13\/luhut-defends-lgbt-groups.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref6\" name=\"_ftn6\"><sup><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kpi.go.id\/index.php\/lihat-terkini\/38-dalam-negeri\/33218-kpi-larang-promosi-lgbt-di-tv-dan-radio\">http:\/\/www.kpi.go.id\/index.php\/lihat-terkini\/38-dalam-negeri\/33218-kpi-larang-promosi-lgbt-di-tv-dan-radio<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref7\" name=\"_ftn7\"><sup><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.tempo.co\/read\/news\/2016\/02\/23\/055747534\/Minister-LGBT-Movement-More-Dangerous-than-Nuclear-Warfare\">http:\/\/en.tempo.co\/read\/news\/2016\/02\/23\/055747534\/Minister-LGBT-Movement-More-Dangerous-than-Nuclear-Warfare<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref8\" name=\"_ftn8\"><sup><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.curvemag.com\/News\/Indonesia-Sees-Rising-Discrimination-Against-LGBT-Community-1008\/\">http:\/\/www.curvemag.com\/News\/Indonesia-Sees-Rising-Discrimination-Against-LGBT-Community-1008\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref9\" name=\"_ftn9\"><sup><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/tet\/node\/286749\">https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/tet\/node\/286749<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref10\" name=\"_ftn10\"><sup><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gu66JLcEv8I\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gu66JLcEv8I<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref11\" name=\"_ftn11\"><sup><sup>[11]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/24\/police-ban-rally-held-lgbt-supporters.html\">http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/24\/police-ban-rally-held-lgbt-supporters.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref12\" name=\"_ftn12\"><sup><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/26\/yogyakarta-transgender-islamic-boarding-school-shut-down.html\">http:\/\/www.thejakartapost.com\/news\/2016\/02\/26\/yogyakarta-transgender-islamic-boarding-school-shut-down.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joko Widodo &amp; the Indonesian Government Must Uphold the Constitutional Rights of Indonesian Citizens &nbsp; The Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is gravely concerned about the on-going attacks against the civil, political and human rights of Indonesian citizens of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. What began in January &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/?p=1247\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">CSBR: President Widodo &#038; Indonesian Govt. Must Uphold Constitutional Rights of Indonesian Citizens<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,4,10,8,9,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activities","category-headline","category-members","category-news","category-tools","category-statements","no-featured-image"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1247"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1256,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1247\/revisions\/1256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}