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Amnesty optimistic about Indonesia’s human rights agenda
As Amnesty International Indonesia celebrates three years of operations, executive director Usman Hamid looks forward to working with the younger generation.
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A screenshot from footage analyzed by Amnesty International shows alleged excessive use of force by police officers in recent protests against the Job Creation Law at Tadulako University in Palu, Central Sulawesi. (JP/Handout)
While Amnesty International Indonesia (AII) has labeled 2020 as the year of weakening human rights, executive director Usman Hamid still chooses to see the glass half-full, as the public appears to be increasingly aware of the importance of the human rights agenda.
Such optimism in the midst of a bleak situation overall stems partly from Amnesty’s consistent advocacy work in the country, which has garnered praise and attention from figures across Indonesia’s broad political spectrum.
“We see a lot of organic reactions from the public, from liberals as well as from conservative Islamists, in perceiving Amnesty’s research with an appreciative view that this organization, which used to be imagined as only defending the rights of minorities, liberals and seculars, can also voice an opinion on issues close to conservatives’ interests,” Usman told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
“I believe this has raised hope that there are some opportunities to improve the public’s awareness that human rights are universal and not limited to certain religious or political affiliations.”
The human rights group recently made a statement demanding that the National Police guarantee complete transparency over investigations into the Dec. 7 shooting that resulted in the deaths of six members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), a hardline group notorious for religious violence.
The FPI and the families of the victims have accused the police of extrajudicial killings as the force looked to detain firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab for shirking summonses for questioning in relation to health protocol violations. Rizieq was later detained after being named a suspect in a case that saw his supporters ignore physical distancing rules during his jubilant return from Saudi Arabia last month.
Usman said that AII had positioned itself as being independent of any ideological or religious leanings.
