To: Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia
Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani
DPR RI Building
Jl. Jenderal Gatot Subroto, Senayan, Tanah Abang,
Central Jakarta, DKI Jakarta
With respect,
Through this open letter, Amnesty International Indonesia wishes to convey its views on the government of the Republic of Indonesia's membership on the Board of Peace (BoP), a forum established by United States President Donald Trump that was planned outside the framework of international law and launched in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22.
Moreover, while many countries have rejected the Board, the Indonesian government plans to send 8,000 Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel to Gaza under the auspices of an International Stabilization Force (ISF).
We believe this decision risks implicating Indonesia in a mechanism that will worsen violations of international humanitarian law, including allowing Israel to continue implementing a system of apartheid and genocide in Gaza. The Board of Peace does not include members from Palestinians that have been the most adversely affected, but instead includes Israel, which for nearly eight decades has carried out an illegal occupation and apartheid against the Palestinian people, even committing genocide in Gaza. The risks are significant given that the Board of Peace encompasses peace building functions in conflict-affected areas, without clear geographic boundaries, a time frame, and without guarantees of human rights.
Amnesty International views this mechanism as fundamentally contrary to the international legal system and the universal principles of human rights that are the foundation of the global order. One of the principles is the principle of the inadmissibility of territorial acquisition by force or the prohibition on a state to recognise or legitimate the acquisition of territory by attack, war or power (UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 2334).
Indonesia's membership in the Board of Peace is inconsistent with its current role as president of the UN Human Rights Council. Indonesia should strengthen and uphold the principles of international law through formal multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, not through ad hoc forums that are ridden with conflicting interests and the ambitions of certain groups such as the dominance of the US. Indonesia's participation in this Board could legitimise Israeli violations, which are not in line with Indonesia's obligations under international law, including the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Indonesia should optimise the implementation of recommendations from UN treaty bodies and special procedures, the implementation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) rulings and push for Israel to be held accountable for its crimes in accordance with international legal mechanisms. No country has the right to determine peace efforts in Gaza, especially unilaterally, without the involvement of the Palestinian people and without the multilateral decision-making process at the UN.
An equally important issue is the state's fiscal responsibility. Amid the current context of budget efficiency policies, we believe that Indonesia's financial participation of over US1 billion (equivalent to 16.8 trillion rupiah) for permanent membership of the Board and future organisational activities has the potential to undermine the fulfillment of basic human rights in various sectors, from health and education to social protection and disaster prevention and response, which currently are still suboptimal.
Therefore, Amnesty International urges the DPR to:
1. Warn the government of the Republic of Indonesia that participation in the Board of Peace, including the deployment of TNI troops to Gaza, places Indonesia at risk of participating in a mechanism that will reinforce violations of international humanitarian law, including tolerating Israel's illegal occupation and even worsening the oppression of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza;
2. Urge the government of the Republic of Indonesia to strengthen its commitment to the implementation of international law by not abandoning it for the sake of ad hoc mechanisms that were established for the economic and political interests of certain groups, personal ambitions and excessive idolisation of certain figures that undermine the authority and mandate of UN institutions;
3. Urge the government of the Republic of Indonesia to implement a foreign policy that adheres to international law and respects universal principles of human rights, by ensuring full transparency and accountability with regard to the political, security, legal and budgetary implications of Indonesia's participation in the Board of Peace and the deployment of TNI troops through democratic oversight and accountability mechanisms;
We hereby submit this letter. We thank you for your attention and consideration.
Sincerely,
Usman Hamid
Executive Director
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Surat Terbuka: Indonesia Harus Perkuat Implementasi Hukum Internasional".]
