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View all search resultsMandiri freezing of protester’s account raises alarm over civic freedom
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Activists of the Solidarity Network of Victims for Justice attend the 574th Kamisan, a weekly silent protest, in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Feb. 14, 2019. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
B
ank Mandiri’s freezing of a protest coordinator’s account has drawn strong criticism from civil society groups, which have warned the move restricts civic freedoms and could erode public trust in the state-owned lender.
The account belongs to Supriyono, coordinator of the United Pati Community Alliance (AMPB), which has organized residents from Pati, Central Java, to protest outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Aug. 27, where protesters are expected to demand the seizure of assets belonging to corruption convicts and the death penalty for corruption convicts.
The bank account contains around Rp 80.9 million (US$4,900) in personal funds and public donations intended to cover food, transportation and accommodation for protesters.
Mandiri has since apologized and attributed the freeze to a request from law enforcement authorities, but refrained from identifying the agency involved or providing details of the case or the legal basis for the request.
A coalition of rights groups, including the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and Amnesty International Indonesia, argued the freeze could violate Article 140 of the Criminal Law Procedures Code, which requires court authorization for an account to be frozen as a coercive measure.
Read also: Freedom of expression under threat as more activists face intimidation
In urgent circumstances, investigators can freeze an account before obtaining approval but must seek authorization from the head of a district court within 48 hours, they said.
The coalition further argued that the timing of the freeze raised concerns that banking powers were being used to restrict citizens’ right to protest.
“We see a serious danger when citizens’ accounts are frozen while they are exercising their right to voice criticism. Restricting access to money for food, transportation and other needs of protesters effectively cripples freedom of expression through economic pressure.”
It urged Mandiri to restore access to the account if there was no valid legal basis or court authorization and called on the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to investigate the matter. (vny)
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