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Indonesia: Failure to provide protection for religious group
Asian Human Rights Commission Urgent Appeal - May 21, 2008 (see sample letter below)
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding another attack against a religious group by other religious groups in West Java on 27 April 2008. As a result of the attack a mosque was burnt down and other facilities were damaged. The AHRC has previously reported the attacks against the group since 2005, but the government has so far failed to provide protection.
Case details
According to the information received, a group of three hundred people came to the Ahmadiyah village (Kampung Ahmadiyah) in Sukabumi town, Curug district, West Java, in the early morning on 27 April 2008 where an Ahmadiyah religious group was praying. The people gathered were yelling "kill" and "burn" and started to burn down a mosque and some other facilities. No one was reported injured in this incident. However, this incident has been traumatic for the Ahmadiyah people living in the area.
After this attack, the police arrested eight people and detained them, one of whom is known as a chief of the Bumi Asih village located nearby the area where the incident occurred.
The attacks on Ahmadiyah have been increasing since Bakor Pakem (Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society), a board under the General Attorney Office that is in charge of monitoring religious practices in Indonesia, released its recommendation concluding that Ahmadiyah is a deviant sect and urged the government to ban the group from Indonesia by issuing a decree on the banning of Ahmadiyah on April 16, 2008.
Since the recommendation has been made by the board, several civil society organisaitons in Indonesia have strongly opposed it. Meanwhile, other religious groups have used it to instigate violence against the group.
The representatives of the Ahmadiyah along with their lawyers have asked for protection from the police since the discourse of the issuing decree arose on April. However the government has so far failed to provide protection for the group.
Additional comments
Attacks towards the Ahmadiyah group has been going on since 2005 (UA-193-2005) and they continued in 2007 (UA-215-2007). Due to the attacks, many of the group's facilities were vandalized and torn down.
Whenever an attack occurs, police investigate the incident. However, none of those responsible who instigated or mobilise people to attack by force have been prosecuted.
A law no. 1/1965 in Indonesia prohibits anyone from deliberately making interpretations of any of the recognized religions or publicly engaging in activities which deviate from those religions. This law has been mainly referred to as the legal basis for banning a religion. In addition, it has been used by the General Attorney Office under the former regime to pass a regulation, namely the Letter of Decision of the General Attorney Number 108/JA/5/1984 that established the Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society. (See further UPI Asia Online commentary)
Suggested action
Please write to the authorities listed below urging them to punish those responsible, ensure the freedom of religion and amend or abolish legislation which deprives people of religious freedom.
Please be informed that the AHRC has also written separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion calling for an intervention in this case.
Dear ___________,
Indonesia: Please provide protection for religious group
Details of incident: Ahmadyah community in Sukabumi town, Curung district, West Java; a mosque and facilities were burned down due to the attack by other religious group on 27 April 2008; eight persons responsible for the attack were arrested
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding another attack against a religious group by others on 27 April 2008, which has continued since 2005.
According to the information that I received, a group of three hundred people came to the Ahmadiyah village (Kampung Ahmadiyah) in Sukabumi town, Curug district, West Java where the religious group were praying and burned down a mosque and some other facilities.
I am appalled to learn that after the attacks in 2005 and 2007 toward the Ahmadiyah group, there has been no significant effort to protect this group from another attack. While, instead of protecting the group, other religious group were provoked after the recommendation urging the issuance of a decree regarding the banning of the Ahmadiyah group by the Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society (Bakor Pakem). I am informed that the police arrested eight people responsible for the damage.
In light of the above, I urge you to punish those persons according to the law after thorough investigations for damage to the mosque and facilities. I further urge you to provide protection for the group so that the people in the community will not receive any further harm or violence from other groups.
I take this opportunity to draw your attention to the fact that as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the government of Indonesia has the obligation to protect freedom of religion of all persons without their being subjected to be coerced to adopt a religion against their belief and conscious. In this regard, I urge you to oppose the recommendation issued by the Coordinating Board for Monitoring Mystical Beliefs in Society and take necessary steps to ensure the freedom of religion in the country.
Yours sincerely,
Please send your letters to:
1. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono
President
Republic of Indonesia
Presidential Palace
Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara
Jakarta Pusat 10010
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 3845627 ext
1003
Fax: + 62 21 231 41 38,
345 2685, 345 7782
E-mail: presiden@ri.go.id
2. Mr. M. Maftuh Basyuni
Minister of Religion
Religion Department of Republic
Indonesia
Jalan Lapangan Banteng Barat
No. 3 - 4 Jakarta 10710
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3812306, 322697,
361654, 361642
E-mail: pikda@depag.go.id
3. Gen. Sutanto
Chief of National Police
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 721 8012
Fax: +62 21 720 7277
E-mail: polri@polri.go.id
4. Mr. Wisnu Subroto
Chairperson
Coordinating Board Coordinating
Board
for Monitoring Mystical
Beliefs in Society
Kejaksaan Agung RI
Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No.
1
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 7221337, 7397602
Fax: + 62 21 7250213
E-mail: postmaster@kejaksaan.or.id
5. Mr. Hendarman Supandji
Attorney General
Kejaksaan Agung RI
Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No.
1
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 7221337, 7397602
Fax: + 62 21 7250213
E-mail: postmaster@kejaksaan.or.id
6. Mr. Abdul Hakim Garuda
Nusantara
Chairperson
KOMNAS HAM (National Human
Rights Commission)
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3925230
Fax: +62 21 3151042/3925227
E-mail: info@komnasham.or.id
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
(ua@ahrchk.org)
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