Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia is urging the government to cancel plans to form a team of assessors to determine the status of human rights defenders. This policy is considered to have the potential to limit civil space and is contrary to basic human rights principles.
Amnesty International Indonesia Deputy Director Wirya Adiwena believes that the state does not have the moral or legal authority to determine who has the right to be called a human rights defender.
"This plan is a dangerous step backwards. The state does not have the moral or legal legitimacy to determine who can or cannot be called a human rights defender", said Adiwena in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday April 30.
According to Adiwena, if the government took over this authority unilaterally, what would happens is not protection, but control and monopoly over civil space. He even considers this discourse to be similar to the practice of screening or special investigation (litsus) during the New Order era of former President Suharto.
Adiwena emphasised that the status of human rights defenders is not determined through government administrative validation. This status is attached to a person's actions and commitment to fighting for human rights peacefully.
This, he continued, is in line with the United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders which states that everyone has the right to be a human rights defender as long as they oppose human rights violations by peaceful means.
"The existence of human rights defenders is determined by their actions and commitment, not by state administrative recognition", he asserted.
Amnesty also highlighted a statement by Human Rights Minister Natalius Pidagi who said that someone could not be called a human rights activist if they received payment for their work. According to Adiwena, this view is too narrow and misleading.
He emphasised that there are many professions, such as journalists, advocates, environmental activists, victim advocates and legal aid workers, who carry out their roles as human rights defenders professionally. The fact that they receive wages does not eliminate the legitimacy of their human rights struggle.
Amnesty warned that the formation of a team of assessors could potentially become a tool of administrative repression. Activists who are critical of the government may not be recognised as human rights defenders, making them vulnerable to criminalisation, intimidation and even violence.
"In situations where alleged human rights violations often involve state actors, giving the state the authority to determine who can supervise them clearly creates a conflict of interest", said Adiwena.
Amnesty International Indonesia is asking the Ministry of Human Rights (Kementerian HAM) to abandon the plan. Instead of making policies that are considered restrictive, the government should focus on efforts to stop human rights violations, ensure accountability of officials, and guarantee a safe space for the public to speak out, gather, and monitor the running of the government.
- The Amnesty International Indonesia statement in Bahasa can be read here: https://www.amnesty.id/kabar-terbaru/siaran-pers/batalkan-rencana-pemerintah-tentukan-status-pembela-ham/04/2026/
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Amnesty Tolak Rencana Pemerintah Tentukan Status Pembela HAM".]
