Issues: ‘Police ban gay rights group conference’

March, 24, Online

The Surabaya Police in East Java has decided not to issue a permit for a regional conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA), slated to be held from Wednesday to Friday. Adj. Sr. Comr. Sri Setyo Rahayu told tempointeraktif.com that the provincial police refused to issue a permit for the event and the city police had followed suit.
Rahayu said there were also indications the conference could be “vulnerable” should it go ahead. Earlier, the local branches of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the highest Muslim authority, and the Muhammadiyah, the country’s second-largest Muslim organization, had objected to the conference.

Your comments:

As I recall, section 28 of UUD 45 guarantees the freedom of speech. Whatever happened to that? I don’t think it has a clause in there that says “as long as the individual/group does not receive a threat from other organizations”.
Surabaya Police may not agree with everything about this convention, but they have the obligation to protect the rights of Indonesian citizens.
Rev.
Houston

High praise for MUI and Indonesian Police, don’t fall into the trap of so-called Western Human Rights, do not let Sodom and Gomorrah prevail. Praise to all of you with
the courage to stand against this abomination.
Indra Panca
Jakarta
 
Well, isn’t this sad yet sadly predictable? Obviously the country’s starting to be more Arab-like, by violating basic rights and equality.  
Maybe the people should snap out of their “normal” daydream and realize that the country’s not supposed to be dictated based on specific religions?
Or maybe, the so-called religious people/groups should read and understand their Holy Books more carefully so that they could awaken to the fact that no real religion nor any beliefs would teach you to be hateful bigots or to ban an international conference or even to ban anything at all for any reason?
Shila
Jakarta

Islam is the teaching of justice for all. There is no discrimination among citizens. If there is discrimination among its citizens, it is not Islamic teaching but Communist teachings. Islamic teaching is freedom of faith, there is no force, oppression and cruelty.
As God said that the future society will be a free society, just like
God’s kingdom, all elements of oppression, cruelty, and force will be destroyed: Non-discrimination, prosperity, and liberty with justice for all citizens in this Earth.
Alatif
The United States

Obviously the local authorities do not understand that they have the obligation to defend democratic values. Not only they are disrespecting their own constitution but by banning the conference they also put Surabaya and Indonesia in the global spotlight of human rights discrimination.
Yet another step back in the struggle for real democracy! It proves that the Surabaya police are not man enough to show independence from religious fanatics.
Wilko
Yogyakarta

Say it is “vulnerable”, shouldn’t the police make sure the event runs well, instead of not issuing the permit over a threatening prank call to the hotel management?
It wasn’t long ago when the media hailed Detachment 88 over their success on fighting terrorism, no? Maybe when the “queer” are the target, they are not considered innocent, by then it’s not a form of terrorism. It is simply natural to beat or blow up people when they are “different”.
Jati
Yogyakarta

They are humans just like normal people. How come their activities could be “vulnerable”? Everyone has the freedom to do legal things, right? There is nothing wrong with that.
Rudi
Surabaya