Indonesia is in a state of emergency regarding human rights violations, according to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA).
“With the increase of rights violations, unresolved past cases and the potential of many more victims, we can say Indonesia is in a state of emergency in its human rights situation,” said Komnas HAM chairwoman Siti Noor Laila.
She was addressing the press during a one-day annual hearing on rights violations, held by the three institutions on Thursday in Central Jakarta.
Komnas HAM commissioner Imdaddun Rahmat said their joint assessment of there being a “state of emergency” was also due to the state’s “unwillingness” to prevent rights violations, “but it covers this up with the reason that it is unable [to do so].” He added that Komnas HAM had received 6,000 reports of rights violations this year compared to 5,000 cases in 2010.
The commissions said the themes selected for the hearing, which centered on cases considered to be increasingly “large scale” with the potential of creating many more victims, were violence and sexual violence toward women and children, and discrimination and violence against minorities.