- In Jakarta, an unidentified group disrupted, intimidated and behaved aggressively toward protesters in a Sept. 27 climate march, highlighting the increased challenges to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Indonesia.
- The following day, on Sept. 28, a mob ransacked a forum of experts in a South Jakarta hotel, tearing down the backdrop of the event, breaking a microphone stand and yelling at participants to “disperse”; in both cases, nearby police did not intervene.
- Activists note a growing trend of public discussions and peaceful assemblies being disrupted by unidentified groups or state forces in Indonesia, particularly when they address sensitive or controversial topics; data from the NGO Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) shows there have been 75 violations of civic freedom in past year alone.
JAKARTA — A recent climate march in Jakarta was forcibly disbanded by an unidentified group of people, which highlights the growing challenges to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Indonesia.
On Sept. 27, dozens of activists descended to the streets of Jakarta to raise awareness about the urgency of climate change and to demand more climate actions as part of the Global Climate Strike, a movement initiated by Greta Thunberg.
This year’s protest argued that Indonesia is facing two crises at the same time — a climate crisis as extreme weather events becoming more frequent and severe, as well as a democracy crisis as indicated by the growing influence of oligarchy in governance and shrinking civil space.
But before the mostly youth protesters started marching, they were already disrupted by an unknown group of people. An unknown person within the group reportedly delivered a speech praising President Joko Widodo’s administration.
Then, the protesters started the march toward downtown Jakarta, only to be greeted with more aggressive intimidation by the unknown group of people.
Around 1:30 p.m., several individuals forcibly took protest items such as posters, banners, loudspeakers and a mannequin of Widodo.
An altercation ensued between the protesters and the unknown group of people.
Despite the disruption, the protesters tried to continue marching. However, the intimidation persisted and one person was physically assaulted.
“Suddenly, we were blocked by thugs. Without any warning or clear demands, they shouted ‘disperse, disperse,'” said one participant, Luthfi Maulana.
Police were present at the site because the protesters had already notified authorities in advance about the march. However, the police didn’t intervene.
“The seizure happened right in front of the officers. Instead of protecting the peaceful protest, the police chose to stay silent and watch the violence without making any effort to stop it,” the Global Strike Coalition said in a written statement.
Instead of ensuring that the protesters could continue to march in peace, the police asked the crowd to disperse, arguing that it didn’t have enough officers to handle the situation.
Firman, the police chief of Setiabudi area, where the incident happened, said the police had done their job by retrieving the protesters’ property from the mob and giving it back to the protesters.
The incident has left some of the protesters feeling distressed, including Hanayanti Octavia Alam, an activist from Fossil Free UKI who participated in the march.
“As a victim of the unrest caused by unknown individuals, my friends and I feel both sad and angry,” she said. “We came peacefully to raise concerns about urgent environmental issues, such as the need to stop coal-fired power plant projects and the lack of government awareness of environmental issues in Indonesia. Unfortunately, we were intimidated, even having to struggle with these irresponsible parties to protect our property and defend ourselves.”
Civil society groups condemned the police inaction and warned that such an incident reflects a growing threat to democracy under President Joko Widodo’s administration, as the next day, a similar incident happened.
On Sept. 28, a discussion in a hotel in South Jakarta attended by experts was also disrupted by a mob of unknown people.
During the dialogue, which included the latest situation in Indonesia, the mob suddenly entered the forum and ransacked the venue. A video circulating on social media shows them tearing down the backdrop of the event and breaking a microphone stand, while yelling “disperse” at the participants of the discussion.
Police were at the site, but they didn’t take any action. Instead, some police officers were seen shaking hands with the mob after the incident. It wasn’t until the following day, Sept. 29, that the police arrested five members of the mob and named two of them suspects.
The national police spokesman, Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, said the police condemned the attack.
“[We] instruct all personnel to strictly enforce the law and to not tolerate any acts of thuggery and vigilantism from any group,” he said as quoted by local media.
The Jakarta Police deputy chief, Djati Wiyoto Abadhy, said the police were conducting an internal investigation to determine if any officers had violated protocol during the protests.
Commenting on the viral video showing the rioters kissing police hands, he said it was a gesture of respect.
The back-to-back incidents were a serious violation of the constitutional rights of citizens to express their opinions in public, and thus law enforcement agencies need to conduct a thorough investigation to find out who’s behind the attack, said environmental NGO Madani Berkelanjutan.
“In a democracy, every citizen has the right to express their aspirations, including on political issues,” said Giorgio Budi Indrarto, the deputy director of Madani Berkelanjutan. “Restricting public dialogue not only damages public trust in the democratic system but also hinders our ability to address the climate crisis in an inclusive and just manner.”
Madani Berkelanjutan pointed out that before the march took place, several government agencies had issued warnings and indirect appeals to civil society not to hold the protest, citing concerns that it might lead to political issues.
Therefore, the attacks are “systemic attempts to silence the people’s voice,” Madani Berkelanjutan said.
Activists also pointed out that there has been a growing trend of public discussions and peaceful assemblies being disrupted by unidentified groups or state forces in Indonesia, particularly when they address sensitive or controversial topics.
Data from the NGO Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) shows there have been 75 violations of civic freedom in past year alone, which include the dispersal of civil society gatherings and demonstrations, sometimes under the pretext of security and political concerns.
As freedom of speech and public assembly are increasingly threatened, civil groups are calling for stronger protections for civil liberties in Indonesia.
“It is at time like this when people need the presence of security officers and law enforcers to protect them from vigilant acts from irresponsible groups of people,” said Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid.
Failure to do so will further weaken Indonesia’s democracy, making it more difficult for the public to meaningfully participate in the collective action to combat climate change and environmental problems, Madani Berkelanjutan said.
“We need to realize that there’s no climate justice without democracy,” the NGO said. “A healthy democracy guarantees full participation from the public in decision-making, especially for crucial issues like climate change.”
Banner image: An unidentified group disrupted, intimidated and behaved aggressively toward protesters in a Sept. 27 climate march in Jakarta. Image courtesy of Extinction Rebellion Indonesia.
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