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Fired gay policeman fights for his rights
He had loyally served in the police force for 10 years but was dishonorably discharged last December, not for accepting bribes or disobeying his superiors but because of his sexual orientation
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span>He had loyally served in the police force for 10 years but was dishonorably discharged last December, not for accepting bribes or disobeying his superiors but because of his sexual orientation.
The 29-year-old brigadier, identified only as TT, is a homosexual, which he had kept a secret for years until he was ambushed by fellow officers while on a date with his partner on Valentine’s Day.
TT, an officer at the Semarang Police in Central Java, said he was nothing but a victim of discriminatory policy and vowed to fight for his rights with the help of local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy groups.
“Serving the people and the community as a police officer for the last 10 years is my pride. I have given my best and have not made any mistakes during my service all these years. And they fired me like this, for something private that doesn’t harm others. I’m very disappointed,” he told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Wednesday.
TT’s case is in many ways unique.
While anti-LGBT sentiment has intensified for years in Indonesia, activists say he might be the first police officer to be fired for being gay. Moreover, he is the first to challenge the “unfair” decision without having to deny his sexual identity.
His story began in December last year when he was informed by his friends who attended a ceremony to which he was not invited that he had been dismissed. It was not until February that he received an official letter of termination.
The letter, which was acquired by the Post, said TT was “dishonorably discharged” from his police unit because he had violated a National Police chief regulation on the profession’s code of ethics.
According to the letter, TT violated articles 7 and 11 of the regulation. The two articles state that police officers must protect “the image and reputation of the police and also obey the values of morality, religion, law, politeness and local wisdoms”.
TT told the Post he was disappointed that his private life was the reason for his dismissal from the police.
“This is me. And I understand that for some people they see it [being gay] as a flaw. I don’t want them to feel uncomfortable around me that is why I’ve kept everything private for years. No one knows about it, not even my family.
“They said I’ve tarnished the police’s reputation but the police are the ones who spread the news to everyone. Now everyone knows, my colleagues and family all know about it now,” he said.
His sexual identity was revealed on Feb. 14, 2017, when TT celebrated Valentine’s Day at a restaurant in Kudus, Central Java with his partner.
After they finished their meal, TT headed to his car to go home. He was shocked when nine armed police officers suddenly approached him.
“I was treated like a criminal. They told me I was involved in blackmail, but I denied it because I hadn’t done anything wrong and they didn’t have an arrest warrant. But they still forced me to go to the Kudus Police station.
“They also made my partner go with me. In those 12 hours of questioning, I later found out that they wanted to ask about my sexual orientation. So, I told them the truth,” TT said.
Central Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Agus Triatmaja confirmed that TT had been dismissed after an internal investigation and hearings.
“We have rejected his request to appeal,” Agus told the Post.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo justified the Central Java Police’s decision, saying: “Homosexuality is still a taboo [in our society]. A police officer must not have deviant sexual orientation.”
Accompanied by the Legal Aid Institute for Society (LBHM), TT filed a lawsuit against the Central Java Police with the Semarang State Administrative Court on March 26.
Ma’ruf Bajammal, a lawyer with the LBHM who accompanied TT, said they had also filed a report on alleged human rights violations in TT’s case with the National Human Rights Commission on April 10, hoping that the commission would also actively monitor this case.
“We believe he is not a deviant and from a human rights perspective, his termination, which was simply based on his sexual orientation, is a violation of the principle of nondiscrimination, as guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Human Rights Law and a National Police chief regulation,” Ma’ruf said.
TT said he still wanted to be a police officer.
He said: “It’s my passion. If they give me permission to serve, I will continue this path. […] Whatever the court’s decision may be, I want people to see the injustice that I [and the LGBT community] have experienced.
“We have the same right to love and to live. We do not do harm to anyone. […] Police are supposed to bring justice and protect people. But how can they do that when they wrong one of their own?”
