The LGBT+ community in Indonesia has recently faced a plethora of discriminatory problems. Though homosexuality is not illegal under Indonesian law, authorities have done much more to hinder the advancement of LGBT human rights than to help. To make matters worse, Indonesia is facing the possibility of new legislation that would further inhibit the rights of the LGBT+ community. The government has faced a large amount of backlash in the form of protests, however, the Muslim-majority country does not look as if it is ready for change.
There have been numerous threats against the LGBT community that are deserving of an investigation by the Indonesian government. Recently, in the capital city Jakarta, a police raid on a private gathering of 56 men led to the arrest of 9 people. According to Human Rights Watch, police forcibly broke up a party at a hotel, accusing people of the crime of "facilitating obscene acts". Jakarta has been the setting for the increasing number of unlawful apprehension of LGBT people. Authorities have been using a 2008 pornography law in order to convict people on the basis of their sexual orientation, relating same-sex relations to the distribution of acts of obscenity. Likewise, in the Indonesian military, security forces have vowed to purge LGBT people from their ranks. Major General Burhan Dahlan has admitted to filing 20 reports to the court regarding same-sex relations between soldiers. Additionally, this outing of members of the LGBT+ community has spread to the Indonesian police force. Government officials have not done anything in response to the removal of LGBT officers from the police or military.
Earlier this year, lawmakers in Indonesia introduced a bill known as the "Family Resistance Bill". According to ABC News, this bill would establish government-sanctioned rehabilitation centers with the purpose of curing LGBT people of their gender identities or sexual orientations. Furthermore, family members would be encouraged to report those who refused to enter the rehabilitation centers. Organizations such as the human rights group OutRight Action International have formed in opposition to the bill, seeing it as another attempt by Indonesian lawmakers to criminalize homosexuality. For now, advocates of the LGBT+ community are doing whatever they can to combat the recent push for anti-LGBT legislation.
The current situation for members of the LGBT+ community in Indonesia is far from ideal, but the increasing number of protest throughout the country, as well as the increasing opposition to new discriminatory legislation reveals a glimps of hope for some. For a country that possesses a grade of only 19% on the F&M Global Barometers scale for gay rights, there seems to be a lot of support for the LGBT+ community. Protest have been widespread since the end of 2019 and have continued to raise support and awareness of the lack of basic rights for LGBT people, prohibiting President Joko Windodo from supporting any new legislation. Though the implementation of the RKUHP is still likely, officials hope to change many revisions of the bill before it becomes law. The young Indonesian community continues to stand up to outdated laws and resists the push for further discrimination of LGBT people.
Sources:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/07/indonesia-investigate-police-raid-gay-party
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/27/its-dangerous-sinaga-case-fuels-lgbt-backlash-in-indonesia
1 comment:
Although a very disheartening trend of suppression, I wonder how the trends of viewing LGBTQ+ communities as official minority groups on the international stage will offer further protection. As it currently stands, even the United States does not officially recognize this group as a constitutionally protected category, and rather only a slightly elevated class of interest. As the powers of the United Nations are limited as it is, I wonder how Western democratic nations will take the lead on human rights issues such as this one, and how that will reflect previous civil rights movements. Great job!
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