Joint Statement Condemning the act of intimidation and ignorance of the Police in the International Day Against Homophobia, Transfobia and Bifobia in Malang The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) Surabaya, Kojigema Institut (KI), FAMM Indonesia, condemned intimidation carried out by a social organization FPI against the board of Kojigema Institute (KI) in the plan to organize a talk show entitled “Celebrate Our Gender” in commemoration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transfobia (IDAHOT). This activity is planned to be held at Cafe Houten Hand, Malang, on the date 17 May 2015. However, the activity was cancelled by the committee as a result of intimidation by both the FPI and the police Malang, on 15 May 2015. Following is the chronology of events: On 15 May 2015, members of Kojigema Institute (KI) received a call that investigating about IDAHOT activities. The person claimed as Mr. Acong living in Tidar, Malang. On 16 May 2015, the same person contacted the committee. He was investigating about the form of activity, location, time, and participants of the event. Then there was a man who claimed to be a student of the State University of Malang that represent an Islamic organization (without naming the organization) to offer a dialogue about the background of the activity. Another call came from a man claiming to be from Malang Takmir Forum contact the committee to state that he disagreed with our activity for violating the norms and values of society. On the same date, at 9:26pm two of KI members received an SMS from someone on behalf of FPI East Java to cancel the talk show because it is considered contrary to the values of Pancasila. They threatened to disband the activity if the committee continued the activity. Through discussion with some friends, we made a notification letter addressed to the Intel Head Unit at Malang Municipal Police. We still do not fully understand the Police new structure. Three representatives of KI filed a notification letter to the Malang Police to get information and notify the purpose of activity on 16 May 2015 around 10:30pm. We waited for Intel on guard in the police station. Based on the information from Houten Hand Cafe owner, a few people from the police (Kodim and Klojen Police) have visited the site and asked about the event on 17 May. We were received by Intel parties consisting of five men, one of whom we know was Mr. Yatno, admitted that they were looking for us to some places (not described specifically). We explained that we were not a group that spread terror, we are a committee that organized discussion to raise awareness of participants who mostly are students and activists in Malang. Police claimed that they know our activity from Twitter. They did not inform about the complaint of certain persons or organizations against our activity. At the time of notification, we also reported intimidation from certain Islamic organizations. We also tell them about the telephone recording as evidence. However, Intel did not seem interested with the information because they do not ask about the phone number of the perpetrator, the contents of intimidation, or request a copy of the phone records we had. Through many considerations, such as the absence of security guarantees given by the police to the activity, cornered statement that our activities must have a permit and must be reported H-3, the statement that our activity can lead to friction with other groups, we agreed to postpone the event. Chairperson of Kojigema Institute also asked to make and sign a stamped agreement to postpone the KI activities on 17 May 2015 around 01:30am. 17 May 2015, around 6 people with religious attributes came to Houten Hand Cafe and ask some questions related to KI activity and a business license from the cafe. The cafe owner, Mr. Doni also taken to the police station for questioning related to his business license and the planned Kojigema Institute activity. To this day, 17 May 2015 we still received intimidation call. At 4:30pm today a woman claimed to be from Gondanglegi, Malang called one of the committee and stated that the activities with LGBT themes should not be held again in Malang. Within 7 months of Jokowi-JK administration, KontraS noted there has been a number of forced dissolution and intimidation undertaken by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI); Silent movie screening dissolution in three locations in Malang (Warung Kelir, office secretariat Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII), and the University of Ma Chung) and 3 locations in Yogyakarta (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Gajah Mada (UGM), Faculty of Art Media Record Indonesian, Arts Institute (ISI), as well as cafe Memoirs) in December 2014, April-May 2015 the dissolution and prohibition of Silent movie screenings and discussions conducted by university, the forced dissolution is accompanied by engagement and inaction by authorities, which is clear violation of the 1945 Article 28E paragraph (3) and 28F on the right of citizens to assembly, association and expression. The repetitiveness clearly shows the government has not managed to keep the civil rights of its citizens. Moreover, the recurrence of similar acts in the early administration of President Joko Widodo showed that Indonesia government’s commitment to ensure the fulfillment of the rights of citizens, as well as the promise contained in points ff and gg of Jokowi-JK’s vision and mission has not yet implemented. The above condition clearly contradicts the principles and values of our democracy, whereas Indonesia has also ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as Law No. 02 year 2002 on the Indonesian National Police. Therefore, we urge that: – Police officers immediately investigate acts of intimidation and allegedly perpetrated by those claiming to be from a social organization, FPI East Java. – Head of Indonesia Police to firmly crack down its officers who are not professional in carrying out their duties by failing to provide maximum security to the community. Surabaya, 17 May 2015 Contact person : Fatkhul Khoir : KontraS Surabaya Niken Lestari : FAMM Indonesia Izza fikri : Kojigema Institut 
Joint Statement Condemning The Act of Intimidation and Ignorance of The Police in The International Day Against Homophobia, Transfobia and Bifobia in Malang
