Nachrichten zufolge wurden in Indonesien Personen, die bei Protesten im August verhaftet wurden, in ein Militärlager gesendet, um eine 10tätiges militärisches Programm zu durchlaufen.
Amnesty – und auch andere zivilgesellschaftliche Gruppen – verurteilen diese Praxis scharf. Anstatt auf die geäußerten Meinungen zu hören sei mit einer repressiven Maßnahme reagiert worden die jeder gesetzlichen Grunlage entbehre, erklärte der Direktor von Amnesty Indonesia, Usman Hamid.
Amnesty condemns military education program for those arrested at August 27 demos
IDN Times – September 11, 2026
Dini Suciatiningrum, Jakarta — Amnesty International Indonesia strongly condemns the military education and training (diklat) program policy for citizens and students arrested following the August 27 protests in Jakarta.
Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid emphasised that sending citizens and students to military barracks simply for participating in a demonstration sends the wrong message to the public — that the right to express opinions through demonstrations is something wrong.
„We strongly condemn this policy which violates human rights. It is part of the strengthening remilitarisation of civic space in Indonesia. This policy is a repressive measure that must be stopped immediately“, he asserted in a statement on Thursday September 10.
Instead of listening to the aspirations of its citizens, the state has responded with a militaristic approach that lacks a clear legal basis for civilians, let alone school-aged children.
„Amnesty International Indonesia has received credible reports that the recruitment process for this military diklat is rife with intimidation and coercion and of course violates human rights principles guaranteed by the constitution and the law“, he said.
Hamid said that the requirement to undergo 10 days of training at TNI (Indonesian Military) barracks is clearly arbitrary. Police allegedly threatened prospective participants by telling them their faces and names had been recorded, so it would be highly risky for them to join demonstrations again.
„We emphasise that this is not an educational or guidance program, but rather a form of intimidation and repression by the state“, he said.
Therefore, Amnesty is urging the Ministry of Defence, the Jakarta Provincial Government and law enforcement agencies, including the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police (Polda Metro Jaya), to immediately halt this military education and training program for the protesters.
„Promoting a sense of national identity must not be done by curtailing citizens‘ fundamental rights. Rather, civic education must respect freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and citizen participation in public life“, he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was „Amnesty Kecam Pelajar Demo Dikirim ke Barak Militer, Langgar HAM!“.]