APSN | Indonesia: Cameron must raise 'deeply troubling human rights abuses' under leadership of visiting President Joko Widodo

Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia

Indonesia: Cameron must raise 'deeply troubling human rights abuses' under leadership of visiting President Joko Widodo

Amnesty International UK Press Releases - April 19, 2016

EU visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo is a farce: Indonesia is misleading the EU and its member states – International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP) Press Release. April 19, 2016
ETAN stands in solidarity with Indonesia's LGBT community – East Timor and Indonesia Action NetworStatement. April 13, 2016
Indonesia: Police overlook vigilante dispersal and intimidation of public events – Asian Human RightCommission Statement. April 11, 2016
Indonesia: Persecution of Gafatar religious group – Human Rights Watch News Release. March 29, 2016
Indonesia: Don't censor LGBT speech – Human Rights Watch News Release. March 9, 2016

Prime Minister David Cameron must challenge Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the country's woeful human rights record during his visit to the UK this week, Amnesty International said today.

President Widodo is in London on Tuesday and Wednesday. Papang Hidayat, Indonesia Researcher at Amnesty International, said:

"Trade deals must not be made by the UK government at the expense of condemning the deeply troubling human rights abuses which have taken place under President Widodo's leadership.

"This is a President whose ruthless 'war on drugs' led to 14 executions last year to the horror of the watching world, with more promised for this year.

"Mr Cameron should also be raising alarm over more than 100 canings from last year for perceived moral offences including a sixty-year-old Christian woman who allegedly sold some alcohol in Aceh province."

Amnesty's concerns include the following:

In 2015 Indonesia executed 14 people, including 12 foreigners and 2 Indonesian nationals
The Indonesian Attorney General announced this month that a further ten people will be executed
The caning of a sixty-year-old Christian woman for allegedly selling alcohol in Aceh province, the first non-Muslim to be punished under controversial Shari'a laws. In 2015 alone, Amnesty International recorded at least 108 canings in Aceh province under Shari'a law for gambling, drinking alcohol or "adultery"
Steven Itlay, a Papuan political activist, was this month charged with having committed "rebellion" and faces life imprisonment
Amnesty has designated 29 prisoners of conscience in Maluku, and a further 27 in Papua

Source: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/indonesia-cameron-must-raise-deeply-troubling-human-rights-abuses-under-leadership.

See also:

Indonesia

Indoleft Archive

Indonesia links

Indonesia News Digest

News services on Indonesia

Publications & videos on Indonesia

Reports & articles on Indonesia

Statements & press releases on Indonesia