Ahmadiyya Persecution: Australia urged to review its training of Indonesian police

Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch also wants a review of Australia's extensive involvement in the training of Indonesian police. He says last year the police were responsible for most human rights abuses in Indonesia.

Ahmadiyya persecution and Australian connection (File photo)
Listen to Audio Report

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Radio Australia | ABC
By Karon Snowdon | ABC | March 23, 2011

The number of provinces in Indonesia which have banned the religious group know as the Ahmadiyah, has risen to 16. That's despite the constitution conferring the right of religious freedom on all citizens. The number has grown dramatically since the February 6th attack in West Java, in which three Ahmadis were beaten to death and five seriously injured by Islamic fanatics. The incident, during which senior police present failed to intervene has raised questions over Australia's role in the training of Indonesian police.

Reporter: Karon Snowdon
Speakers: Andreas Harsono, Indonesian Consultant, Human Rights Watch; Boediono, Indonesia Vice President; Erna Ratnaningsin, Chairwoman, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation

SNOWDON: It was even more shocking than the mobile phone footage of Indonesian soldiers torturing Papuans last year.
A gruesome video of Islamic fanatics murdering three men on February 6, in the village of Cikeusik, in western Java's Banten province. It showed a crazed mob of around 1,000 people attacking 21 Ahmadiyah members before three of them were burnt and beaten to death with clubs and machetes. 12 people, including one Ahamdi were ultimately arrested. It can take 60 days to lay charges. Of equal concern, police, including a provincial Chief of Police and a local police commisioner were clearly shown standing by doing nothing to stop the violence. Andreas Harsono is Indonesian consultant for New York based Human Rights Watch. He says while three senior police have been suspended he has little faith in a proper investigation of their involvement or inaction.

HARSONO: Human Rights Watch wants the Indonesian police to investigate the removed Police officers and if found guilty to bring them to justice.

SNOWDON: Cen you be you sure that's not happening?

HARSONO: We are afraid that its not going to happen.

SNOWDON: Now the Human Rights Commission is investigating. How confident are you of that particular effort?

HARSONO: Its diffticult to say. They are trying their best but they cannot charge people.

SNOWDON: Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemned the attack. His Vice President Boediono told me during a recent visit to Australia both he and the President had watched the video. Agreeing it was shocking he said the police investigation must run its course.

BOEDIONO: The government has actually taken very strong action toward including some members of the police force.

SNOWDON: Very senior members.

BOEDINONO: Yes,

SNOWDON: A brigadier general, a police commissioner.

BOEDINONO: Yes. We do mean business.

SNOWDON: They've been stood down, are they going to be or charged or sacked from their posts?

BOEDIONO: We'll let the police do further investigation.

SNOWDON: Are they being investigated, the police chief?

BOEDIONO: Well lets see. We'll leave it to the police at the moment.

SNOWDON: The 300-thousand Indonesian Ahmadis are considered heretical by some Muslims because they believe Mohammad was not the last prophet. Human rights groups claim the escalating violence against them is encouraged by the 2008 national law forbidding the propagation of the Ahmadiyah faith. They say the law should be repealed. Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch also wants a review of Australia's extensive involvement in the training of Indonesian police. He says last year the police were responsible for most human rights abuses in Indonesia.

HARSONO: Not army officers like during the Suharto period but number one perpetrators was (sic) police officers.

SNOWDON: He says the focus on counter-terrorism by the Australian Federal Police in the past is understandable. But it should now extend its cooperation and training to include tackling violence against minorities.

HAROSNO: It is now important to broaden the assistance to fight against the rise of violent fundamentalism in Indonesia.

SNOWDON: But that's a job for the Indonesian police in fairness ? Perhaps the Australian force could help in human rights training or ethics training?

HARSONO: Oh yes but if the Australian state is interested in fighting against terrorism, militant Islamism in Indonesia like it or not, they also have to help the Indonesian police to tackle attacks against religious minorities inside Indonesia.

SNOWDON: The growing number of regional bans against the Ahmadiyah following the Cikeusik murders has not been challenged by Jakarta. Erna Ratnaningsin the Chairwoman of the Legal Aid Foundation has been the Ahmadiyah's lawyer for six years. She says members of the minority group are being increasingly harrassed to renounce their faith by police and military in the provinces.

RATNANINGSIN: Now not only the Islamic fundamentalist organisation are intimidating the Ahmadiyah but because of this regulation, now the local government and also the police and the military.

SNOWDON: Lawyer Erna Ratnaningsin, who plans to lodge a Supreme Court challenge against anti-Ahmadiyah regulations next week.


Read original post here: Australia urged to review its training of Indonesian police