2013 Exercising Their Rights, in Particular, Sexual and in June, Mako Tabuni, a Papuan Political Activist and Reproductive Rights
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In March and April, at least 10 people were injured Freedom of expression when police used excessive force to evict slum-dwellers The authorities used overbroad and imprecise laws to from Nonadonga area, Kolkata, in a bid to acquire land arrest at least seven people for posting online for urban infrastructure projects. comments criticizing the government. In September, one protester was killed by police and In April, Kolkata police arrested academic Ambikesh more than 60 others were injured when police cleared a Mahapatra for posting a cartoon criticizing West Bengal demonstration against the Kudankulam nuclear power Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. plant in Tamil Nadu. In September, Mumbai police arrested Aseem In November, one person was killed and five others Trivedi for publishing a series of cartoons parodying were injured by police during protests over the amount India’s national symbols as part of an anti-corruption of compensation for land in Loba village, West Bengal, protest. acquired for a private coal mine. In October, Puducherry police arrested Ravi Srinivasan for tweeting about allegations of corruption Sedition laws involving the Union Finance Minister’s son. Protests grew against archaic sedition laws used to In November, Mumbai police arrested two women, imprison peaceful demonstrators. Shaheen Dhada and Renu Srinivasan, for posting Over 50 peaceful protesters against the Kudankulam Facebook comments questioning a public protest nuclear power plant, including Dr Udayakumar and called for by supporters of a recently deceased senior Pushparayan, were charged with sedition and “waging political figure. war against the state”. In August, social activists Seema Azad and Vishwa Amnesty International visits/reports Vijay, were released on bail by the Allahabad High Human rights defenders in India need effective protection: Amnesty Court while appealing against their conviction on International’s written statement to the 19th session of the UN Human sedition charges for collaborating with armed Maoists. Rights Council (ASA 20/005/2012) I India: Vedanta’s perspective uncovered – policies cannot mask Human rights defenders practices in Orissa (ASA 20/029/2012) People defending the rights of marginalized Amnesty International urges India to promptly ratify the Convention communities continued to be targeted by state and against Torture and invite the Special Rapporteur on torture to visit India non-state actors – as highlighted by the UN Special (ASA 20/034/2012) Rapporteur on human rights defenders in February. India: Still a “lawless law” – detentions under the Jammu and Kashmir In July, environmental activist Ramesh Agrawal, who Public Safety Act (ASA 20/035/2012) had sought to expose environmental and Adivasi rights violations linked to mining projects, was shot and injured in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh. In September, the Supreme Court rejected the bail petition of prisoner of conscience and Adivasi leader Kartam Joga, jailed since September 2010. INDONESIA In September, the Supreme Court agreed to consider REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA the medical report of Adivasi schoolteacher Soni Sori, Head of state and government: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after she complained of torture, including sexual violence, by the Chhattisgarh police while she was in their custody in October 2011. In October, Adivasi rights activist Dayamani Barla Security forces faced persistent allegations of was imprisoned for two months for a 2008 incident, human rights violations, including torture and other amid allegations that she was being targeted by ill-treatment and excessive use of force and firearms. Jharkhand authorities for protesting against the forced At least 76 prisoners of conscience remained behind eviction of farmers at Nagri. bars. Intimidation and attacks against religious minorities were rife. Discriminatory laws, policies and practices prevented women and girls from 122 Amnesty International Report 2013 exercising their rights, in particular, sexual and In June, Mako Tabuni, a Papuan political activist and reproductive rights. No progress was made in deputy chair of the pro-independence National bringing perpetrators of past human rights violations Committee for West Papua, was shot dead by police to justice. No executions were reported. officers in Waena, near Jayapura, Papua province. Police alleged he was resisting arrest. There was no Background impartial or independent investigation into the killing. In May, Indonesia’s human rights record was Also in June, soldiers attacked a village in Wamena, assessed under the UN Universal Periodic Review. Papua province, in retaliation for the death and injury of The government rejected key recommendations to two of their personnel. They reportedly opened fire review specific laws and decrees which restrict the arbitrarily, stabbed dozens of people with bayonets – rights to freedom of expression and thought, resulting in one death – and burned a number of conscience and religion. In July, Indonesia reported houses, buildings and vehicles. to the CEDAW Committee. In November, Indonesia In August, police and military personnel in Yapen adopted the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, island, Papua province, forcibly dispersed a peaceful despite serious concerns that it fell short of demonstration commemorating the International Day international standards. of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Security forces fired Indonesia’s legislative framework remained their guns into the air and arbitrarily arrested at least six inadequate to deal with allegations of torture and protesters. Some were reportedly beaten during their other ill-treatment. Caning continued to be used as arrest. a form of judicial punishment in Aceh province for Also in August, police personnel from the Jayawijaya Shari’a offences. At least 45 people were caned District in Papua province arbitrarily arrested and during the year for gambling, and being alone with allegedly slapped, punched and kicked five men in an someone of the opposite sex who was not a marriage attempt to force them to confess to a murder. No partner or relative (khalwat). investigation into the abuse was carried out. I Police and security forces Freedom of expression Police were repeatedly accused of human rights The authorities continued to use repressive legislation violations, including excessive use of force and to criminalize peaceful political activists. At least 70 firearms, and torture and other ill-treatment. Internal people from the regions of Papua and Maluku were in and external police accountability mechanisms failed prison for peacefully expressing their views. to adequately deal with cases of abuses committed by In March, five Papuan political activists charged with police, and investigations into human rights violations “rebellion” under Article 106 of the Indonesian were rare. Criminal Code were imprisoned for three years for their In March, 17 men from East Nusa Tenggara province involvement in the Third Papuan Peoples’ Congress, a were arbitrarily arrested for the murder of a policeman. peaceful gathering in Abepura in October 2011. They were allegedly stripped, handcuffed and beaten In July, Malukan prisoner of conscience Johan in detention for 12 days by the West Sabu sub-district Teterissa, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence, police. Some suffered stab wounds and broken bones. was kicked and beaten with electric cables following his Some were reportedly forced by police to drink their transfer from Madiun prison to Batu prison on own urine. They were released without charge at the Nusakambangan island, Central Java. He did not end of June due to lack of evidence. receive medical attention following the beating. Indonesian security forces, including police and Human rights defenders and journalists repeatedly military personnel, were accused of human rights faced intimidation and attacks because of their work. violations in Papua. Torture and other ill-treatment, International observers, including NGOs and excessive use of force and firearms and possible journalists, continued to be denied free and unlawful killings were reported. In most cases, the unimpeded access to the Papua region. perpetrators were not brought to justice and victims In May, Tantowi Anwari, an activist from the did not receive reparations. Association of Journalists for Diversity, was beaten and kicked by members of the hardline Islamic Defenders Amnesty International Report 2013 123 Front in Bekasi, West Java. Tantowi filed a police report, in Bogor and the Filadelfia Batak Christian Protestant but there was no progress on his case by the end of Church in Bekasi city. The churches had been sealed the year. off by local authorities in 2010. Both congregations In September, Papuan human rights lawyer Olga remained at risk of harassment and intimidation by Hamadi was threatened after investigating allegations hardline groups for continuing to worship just outside of police torture and other ill-treatment in a murder their buildings. case in Wamena, Papua province. There was no investigation into the threats, and fears for her safety Women’s rights remained. Women and girls faced ongoing barriers to exercising their sexual and reproductive rights. In July, Freedom of religion and belief the CEDAW Committee recommended that the The authorities used incitement and blasphemy government promote understanding of sexual and provisions to criminalize freedom of religion, as well as reproductive health and rights, including among freedoms