Human rights and cultural activists have said culture only thrives if the government has a strong commitment to protecting human rights, including freedom of expression. National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) member Amirudin Al Rahab expressed concern about the future of cultural development in the country, saying how the movement to uphold human rights often came from a different direction to culture. He said culture only develops if human rights values, especially freedom of expression, are protected. Amirudin said culture was often overlooked in the fight to uphold human rights because oftentimes the fight is too focused on the legal aspects and consequences. “Values of human rights will be built up if they are internalized through [daily] social life. We should not care about human rights only because it carries legal consequences, but because it is our mu...