On February 28th, 2024, Indonesian President Joko Widodo awarded the Indonesian Minister of Defense, Mr. Prabowo Subianto the honourary promotion to the rank of General of the Indonesian National Army. A similar title has been given to a number of retired Indonesian National Military officers who once served as Ministers, starting from Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Mr. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Mr. Agum Gumelar, Mr. A.M. Hendropriyono as well as Mr. Sarwo Edhie Wibowo. The Ministry of Defense explained that the reason for giving this honour was because of Prabowo Subianto’s dedication and contr ..read more

Hong Kong, March 07, 2024  As there is a curiosity on the part of many persons and organizations about the Rule issued against Mr Nagananda Kodituwakku Attorney-at-law by the Supreme Court we are sharing the basic documents that provide the essential information about this case. The Rule was made under Judicature act 42(2) while ordering removal of Mr Nagananda Kodituwakku the office of Attorney-at-Law. Further, he is restrained from filing public interest litigation in his personal capacity. A list of documents contained in this file is as follows. a.      Sectio ..read more

PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY  Discussion at Yogyakarta State University Critics against the Regime Forcibly Dispersed by the Rector          Discussion and gathering that was planned by the students of Yogyakarta State University (UNY) and other academics, such as lecturers and professors, were forcibly dispersed by the Rector due to the committee of the discussion did not have permission from the rector. Previously, on social media a poster circulated “Call for Consolidation: Inviting Lecturers, Students and the entire UNY Academic ..read more

(Hong Kong, January 16, 2024) The Panel of Judges at the East Jakarta District Court has issued an acquittal verdict regarding the case of criminalisation against Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti (the Director of the Commission for the Disappearances and Victims of Violence [KontraS] for the 2020-2023 period) and Mr. Haris Azhar (the Founder of the LOKATARU Foundation) on Monday, January 8, 2024. These organisations work for human rights in the scope of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. The judgment is good news amidst the recent phenomenon of the collapse of democracy ..read more

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of Human Rights Day In commemorating the International Human Rights Day, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) highlights the theme of the lack of protection of human rights defenders in Indonesia. More than 20 years’ of political reform after former dictator President Suharto stepped down in 1998, Indonesia tends to fail to ensure protection for human rights defenders. In a democratic transition where the country is still improving for a better order of life, the role of a strong civil society can provide colour for the direc ..read more

The trial process of Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti, a Coordinator of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence / KontraS 2020-2023 and Mr. Haris Azhar,the Founder of the Lokataru Foundation, finally entered the stage of reading the prosecution by the Public Prosecutor (Jaksa Penuntut Umum/JPU). However, before the Prosecutor submitted the prosecution, the legal team of Fatia and Haris also submitted documentary evidence which we had presented previously in the process of examining witnesses and experts. This documentary evidence aims to str ..read more

Hong Kong, October 26, 2023  TNI Angkat Udara (TNI AU) dalam hal ini Pangkalan Udara Muljono telah melakukan klaim sepihak terhadap ratusan rumah rumah di kawasan Simogunung sebagai Rumah Dinas milik TNI AU, klaim ini ditolak para warga yang selama ini telah puluhan tahun menempati rumah tersebut. Para warga yang sejatinya adalah para pensiunan TNI AU dan keluarganya mengantongi  fakta hukum dan fakta historis yang menunjukkan bahwa mereka adalah pemilik syah atas rumah dan tanah yang mereka tempati.  Sejak beberapa bulan lalu, para warga dengan didampingi KontraS Surabaya telah ..read more

IMF in its recent report issued in September titled Sri Lanka; Technical Assistance Report-Governance Diagnostic Assessment, has directed its attention to the problems relating to the independence in conduct of prosecutions into crimes in Sri Lanka. It points to the absence of independent prosecutor in Sri Lanka and also notes that this given rise to real or perceived impression about the weaknesses of the existing system.  Asian Human Rights Commission has for many years pointed out that one of the major reasons for the breakdown of the Rule of Law  ..read more

By Basil Fernando Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville is the famous author of the book Democracy in America. It is one of the world’s best known writings which have been appreciated by many philosophers, writers, thinkers and also people in many countries. It has also been translated into many languages.  Tocqueville was a French magistrate, a young man of 30, who, with another friend, visited the United States in 1831. His whole idea was to understand what democracy is by looking into the experience of the United States. He knew about the disclosure on democracy in France a ..read more

By Basil Fernando The sentencing of a former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for giving illegal orders not to arrest a suspect. The reported sentencing of former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Lalith Jayasinghe, for giving illegal orders to prevent the arrest of a person allegedly involved in the shooting which resulted in the death of some persons, was a sentence of five years in prison, by the High Court Judge of Ratnapura. While the particular case may be of interest from a political point of view due to the Member of the Parliament who was later arrested and convicted ..read more