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Rights groups slam charges against interfaith activist
The West Sumatra Police on Tuesday declared Sudarto a suspect for posting a statement on his Facebook social media account opposing the local administration’s alleged discrimination against Christians in Dharmasraya regency.
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Padang Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) director Wendra Rona Putra (second right) accompanies Pusaka interfaith activist Sudarto (right) when the latter was questioned at the West Sumatra Police office on Tuesday. (LBH Padang/Wendra Rona Putra)
H
uman rights activists have strongly condemned the police’s decision to name West Sumatra interfaith campaigner Sudarto a suspect in spreading hate speech, saying that all Sudarto did was to express his concern over growing intolerance in the province.
The West Sumatra Police on Tuesday declared Sudarto a suspect for posting a statement on his Facebook social media account opposing the local administration’s alleged discrimination against Christians in Dharmasraya regency.
In his Facebook post, Sudarto, an activist with human rights group Pusaka, criticized the reported prohibition against Christians in Kampung Baru, Dharmasraya regency, from holding Christmas religious services.
Harry Permana, chairman of a youth group in the regency, reported Sudarto to the police, after he was told about Sudarto’s post. After the report, Sudarto was detained by West Sumatra Police on Tuesday for questioning. Later on Wednesday, the police released Sudarto but his suspect status remains.
Sudarto has been charged under Article 45 of Law No. 19/2016 in conjunction with Article 28 of Law No. 11/2008 on electronic information and transactions (ITE), as well as Article 14 and/or 15 of Law No. 1/1946 for allegedly inciting hatred and conflict between certain individuals and/or communities based on ethnicity, religion or race.
“This [detention and suspect status] is the strategy of intolerant groups to silent critics. Unfortunately, the police and local administration chose to appease the groups and to seek the soft way out. Sudarto’s acts were part of freedom of expression and they should be open for further dialogue,” said Bonar Tigor Naipospos, the vice chairman of Setara Institute for democracy and peace.
Separately, Mujtaba Hamdi, the executive director of religious freedom watchdog Wahid Foundation, criticized the police for naming Sudarto a suspect, stressing that Sudarto was simply exercising his rights as an Indonesian citizen to help the adherents of other religions to practice their beliefs.
