Indonesia: Ongoing harassment and intimidation against KontraS

The Observatory has been informed about acts of intimidation and harassment against the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), a human rights organisation formed by several civil society organisations and community leaders in 1998 to monitor human rights issues in Indonesia and handle cases of enforced disappearances and victims of state violence. KontraS is a member organisation of FIDH and of the OMCT SOS-Torture network.

On 14 March 2025, at around 14:00, three motorcycles with unidentified riders repeatedly passed by and stopped in front of KontraS’ office in Jakarta, in an apparent attempt to monitor the premises. The three motorcycles remained near the office for 15 minutes before leaving the area.

On 15 March 2025, KontraS members received numerous missed calls from unknown phone numbers. One of the calling numbers was identified through the Getcontact application as being associated with a security intelligence official.

Late at night on 16 March 2025, three unidentified individuals unsuccessfully attempted to break into KontraS’ office in Jakarta.

This series of acts of harassment and intimidation took place as KontraS was actively advocating against the amendments to the Law No. 34/2004 (commonly known as “TNI Law”), which were drafted without adequate public consultation. These amendments, passed by the Indonesian Parliament on 20 March 2025, aim to significantly expand the military’s role in civilian institutions, including law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and state-owned enterprises.

On 3 March 2025, KontraS sent an open letter to the House of Representatives’ First Commission requesting a postponement of the bill's deliberation. On 9 March 2025, KontraS and a civil society coalition for security sector reform held a press conference at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in Jakarta to voice their opposition to the proposed amendments to the TNI Law. On 15 March 2025, KontraS members held a peaceful protest at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta demanding that members of the House of Representative stop their closed-door deliberations on the TNI Law amendments.

Harassment and intimidation against KontraS continued after the adoption of the TNI Law. Footage from a CCTV camera installed by KontraS showed that Indonesian Army vehicles drove by or stopped in front of the KontraS office compound four times – on 23 and 27 March and on 3 and 8 April 2025. On at least two occasions - 23 and 27 March 2025 - military personnel were seen taking photographs of the KontraS’ office gate from the vehicles.

The Observatory condemns the acts of harassment and intimidation against KontraS and its staff members, which seem to be only aimed at preventing them from carrying out their legitimate human rights activities and from exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression and of peaceful assembly.

The Observatory calls on the Indonesian authorities to carry out an immediate, independent, thorough, and impartial investigation into the acts of intimidation against KontraS and its staff, and to ensure that an end be put to any acts of harassment against them and all other human rights defenders in the country.