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Human Rights in Indonesia

Date:
Location:
2261 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing Notice

Following its transition to democratic rule in the 1990s, Indonesia’s political system has undergone enormous change, including a significant decentralization of power to local authorities and the decreased role of the military in domestic affairs and internal security. In this context, human rights protections have generally improved, including in areas with a history of secessionist movements like Aceh. Non-governmental organizations have also flourished, and many Indonesians now see democracy as part of their national identity.

Despite such significant reforms, Indonesia’s human rights situation needs more progress. Indonesia’s military and police retain a sense of impunity in some parts of the country, most notably in the restive eastern provinces of Papua. A well-documented rise in religious intolerance has also manifested itself in intimidation of and violence toward some religious groups, including Indonesia’s Ahmadiya community and Christians in the West Java province. The State Department’s 2012 Indonesia Country Report on Human Rights Practices reported instances of unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, numerous reports of torture between July 2011 and June 2012 and narrow limitations on the freedom of expression, particularly in areas with pro-independence movements.

This hearing will review Indonesia’s current human rights situation and U.S. foreign policy with a view toward Indonesia’s presidential and parliamentary elections in 2014.

If you have any questions, please contact the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at 202-225-3599 or tlhrc@mail.house.gov.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC
Witnesses

Witnesses

Panel I

  • Dan Baer, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State
  • Susan Sutton, Director, Office of Maritime Southeast Asia, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

  • John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
    Written testimony
  • T. Kumar, Director for International Advocacy, Amnesty International USA
    Written testimony
  • Sri Suparyati, Deputy Coordinator, Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS)
    Written testimony
  • Octovianus Mote, Yale University Law School Fellow & former Kompas journalist
    Written testimony
Meeting Documents

Transcript

Video

Contact The Commission

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
4150 O'Neill House Office Building
200 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20515
United States of America

Phone: +1 (202) 225-3599
TLHRC@mail.house.gov

Accessibility

The Commission seeks to make its events, meetings and hearings accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you are in need of special accommodations, please call (202) 225-3599 at least four business days in advance.

Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.

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