Amnesty international has published a document proposing a human rights human rights to candidates during the Indonesian presidential and parliamentarian elections on 17 April 2019. The agenda consists of nine points, addressing the most important shortcomings in the field of human rights in Indonesia. Several agenda items have a particular high relevance for the human rights context in West Papua. Point six of the agenda demands the government to respect human rights in Papua.
Amnesty International calls on all presidential and parliamentary candidates to commit publicly to ensuring that human rights are protected, respected and fulfilled, as provided in international human rights law and standards and the country’s own Constitution.
The PDF document on the human rights agenda may be downloaded here
Amnesty International acknowledges that since the end of President Suharto’s rule in 1998, Indonesia has embarked on a series of key reforms aimed at enforcing better safeguards for the protection of human rights, enhancing the rule of law and reforming the public security sector. Indonesia has also ratified several international human rights treaties.
However, despite some progress, Indonesia’s human rights record in many areas has been floundering, including ongoing human rights violations committed by the security forces; undue restrictions in law and practice on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion; entrenched gender-based discrimination and other violations of women’s human rights; failure to ensure justice, truth and reparation for past abuses; ongoing human rights violations in Papua; and the continued use of the death penalty.
This briefing highlights the current situation in these areas, although it should be noted that they do not represent an exhaustive list of Amnesty International’s concerns with regards to human rights in the country.
It draws on Amnesty International’s ongoing research on Indonesia, which involves regular contact with local and international non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders, victims and their families, lawyers, government officials, journalists and other individuals.
The agenda consists of the following nine points:
1. Uphold the right to freedom of Expression and protect human rights defenders
2. Respect and protect the right to freedom of thought, consience, religion and belief
3. Ensure accountability for human rights violations committed by security forces
4. Establish accountability for past human rights violations
5. Uphold the rights of women and girls
6. Respect human rights in Papua
7. Close the accountability gap for human rights abuses by companies in palm oil sector
8. End the death penalty
9. End harassment, intimidation, attacks and discrimination against LGBTI people
The PDF document on the human rights agenda may be downloaded here
