Indonesia

Country Profile

Although there were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Indonesia during the year, the president acknowledged for the first time the state’s role in historic incidents of gross human rights violations that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Indonesians between 1965 and 2003. The government also took greater steps to recognize Indigenous land rights.

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment by police; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; political prisoners; serious abuses in a conflict in Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua and West Papua Provinces (the Papua region), including unlawful civilian deaths or harm, torture, and physical abuses; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, censorship, and use of criminal libel laws; serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association; serious government corruption; extensive gender-based violence, including the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting members of racial, ethnic, and religious minority groups, primarily Papuans; laws in Aceh Province criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults that were enforced; and crimes involving violence or threats of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex persons.

The government did not systematically take credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.

Violence between government forces and separatist groups continued in the Papua region. There were numerous reports of abuses by nongovernmental groups, including armed groups, against civilians including unlawful or arbitrary killings, physical abuse, and destruction of property. The government investigated and prosecuted some of these. The violence displaced thousands of residents. Outside the Papua region, there were numerous reports of unknown actors using digital harassment and intimidation against human rights activists and academics who criticized government officials, discussed government corruption, or covered the violence in the Papua region.

Cases

Released

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For Further Reference

Full U.S. Department of State Human Rights Country Report
U.S. Department of State International Religious Freedom Country Report
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Annual Report Chapter
U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report Country Narrative
Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review
Human Rights Watch World Report Country Chapter
Amnesty International Annual Report Country Chapter
Freedom House Freedom in the World Country Report