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Indonesia: Police officers attacked and intimidated sand mining protesters
Asian Human Rights Commission Urgent Appeal - March 23, 2016
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Indonesia Environment Forum (WALHI)'s branch office of West Nusa Tenggara province regarding the brutal attack and intimidation of protesters against sand mining. The protesters were conducting a peaceful protest in front of the local parliament of East Lombok regency, calling for the government to cancel the sand mining permit.
Case narrative:
On 27 January 2016 the police officers of East Lombok Police Resort (Polres Lombok Timur) brutally attacked protesters in front of the parliament building, who were protesting against the government plan to issue a permit for sand mining in East Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
The police shot the protesters with tear gas and threw stones at them. Five babies carried by their mothers and four protesters were seriously injured by the tear gas, while three protesters were injured by the stones.
Sand mining plan in the Alas Strait, according to the local environment group, would threaten the survival of around 16,437 families whose livelihood is fishing. The sand mining is required to produce sand material for the reclamation project of Tanjung Benoa, Bali province. Ironically, the reclamation in Tanjung Benoa itself is refused by the Balinese people who are calling for the protection of their environment.
A similar incident occurred in 2014, where the local community held a peaceful demonstration against sand mining, and approximately 42 persons were arrested and a few of them remain detained for further examination.
It is time for the national government to comprehensively evaluate mining and exploitation of natural resources in many provinces of Indonesia. In the implementation of the special autonomy law for over a decade, the government has failed to develop a national standard on protecting natural resources and avoiding environmental damages and human rights violations against local communities and indigenous people, who frequently become victims of various development policies.
Additional information:
For more than a decade, since the implementation of the autonomy law in 1999, competition among the provinces and regencies in Indonesia has been very competitive, with local authorities becoming very dependent on raw material, such as sand mining to increase government income to fund local development and salary for government officials. However, the autonomy system has no standard regarding human rights protection, resulting in the mining sector becoming a key contributor of human rights violations. Furthermore, the police do not show professionalism in dealing with such a problem, and in fact defend the perpetrators.
Suggested action:
Please write to the authorities listed below, asking them to ensure comprehensive investigation is undertaken to prosecute police officers and other government officials involved in the brutal attack against the protesters. Further, the government should provide remedies for victims and cancel the permit for sand mining.
The AHRC will write a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: http://www.urgentappeals.net/support.php?ua=AHRC-UAC-023-2016
Sample letter:
Dear....................,
Indonesia: Police officers brutally attacked and intimidated sand mining protesters
The police shot the protesters with tear gas and threw stones at them. Five babies carried by their mothers and four protesters were seriously injured by the tear gas, while three protesters were injured by the stones.
Sand mining plan in the Alas Strait, according to the local environment group, would threaten the survival of around 16,437 families whose livelihood is fishing. The sand mining is required to produce sand material for the reclamation project of Tanjung Benoa, Bali province. Ironically, the reclamation in Tanjung Benoa itself is refused by the Balinese people who are calling for the protection of their environment.
A similar incident occurred in 2014, where the local community held a peaceful demonstration against sand mining, and approximately 42 persons were arrested and a few of them remain detained for further examination.
It is time for the national government to comprehensively evaluate mining and exploitation of natural resources in many provinces of Indonesia. In the implementation of the special autonomy law for over a decade, the government has failed to develop a national standard on protecting natural resources and avoiding environmental damages and human rights violations against local communities and indigenous people, who frequently become victims of various development policies.
Therefore, I respectfully request you to ensure comprehensive investigation is undertaken to prosecute police officers and other government officials involved in the brutal attack of protesters.
Further, the government has to ensure remedy for victims and cancel the permit for sand mining due to the environmental damages caused by the mining.
I look forward to your prompt action in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
...................
Please send your letters to:
1. Mr. Joko Widodo
President of
the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No.
16
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3458
595
Fax: +62 21 3484
4759
E-mail: webmaster@setneg.go.id
2. Mr. Yasonna
Laoly
Minister of Law
and Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna
Said Kav. 6 – 7
Kuningan, Jakarta
12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 525
3006, 525 3889
Fax: +62 21 525
3095
3. Dr. Mualimin
Abdi SH., MH
Director General
of Human Rights
Office of the
Director General of Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna
Said Kav. 6 – 7
Kuningan, Jakarta
12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 5253006
Fax: +62 21 5253095
4. General Badroedin
Haiti
Chief of National
Police (KAPOLRI)
Jl. Trunojoyo
No. 3 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 384
8537, 726 0306
Fax: +62 21 7220
669
E-mail: info@polri.go.id
5. Mr. Luhut
Binsar Panjaitan
Chairperson National
Police Commission
Jl. Tirtayasa
VII No. 20
Kebayoran Baru,
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 739
2315
Fax: +62 21 739
2352
E-mail: secretariat@kompolnas.go.id,
skm@kompolnas.go.id
6. Professor.
Amzulian Rifai S.H, LL.M, PhD
Chairperson of
Ombudsman of Republic of Indonesia
Jl. HR. Rasuna
Said Kav. C-19 Kuningan (Gedung Pengadilan TIPIKOR) Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 52960894/95
Fax: +62 21-52960904/05
7. Dr. HM. Azis
Syamsuddin, SH
Chairperson of
the Commission III of The House of Representative
Ketua Komisi
III DPR RI
Gedung Nusantara
II DPR RI, Lt I
Jalan Jenderal
Gatot Subroto, Jakarta,
INDONESIA
Telp: +62 21
-5715566, +62 21-5715569, +62 21-5715864
Fax: +62 21 5715566
8. Mr. Abdul Haris
Semendawai
Chairperson of
the Agency for Victims and Witness Protection
Lembaga Perlindungan
Sakdi dan Korban (LPSK)
JL. Proklamasi
No 56 Jakarta Pusat 10320
Tel: +62 21 31907021
Fax: +62 21 3190606/+62
21 31927881
9. M. Imdadun
Rahmat
Chairperson National
Human Rights Commission
Jl. Latuharhary
No. 4-B
Jakarta 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 392
5227-30
Fax: +62 21 392
5227
E-mail: info@komnas.go.id
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals
Programme
Asian Human Rights
Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
Source: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-023-2016.
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