Repeated Practice of Silencing Freedom of Opinion at the Momentum of International Forums

ALERTA!*

Denpasar – Monday, 20 May 2024

After a series of intimidations and cancellation of activity venues, the People’s Water Forum in Bali again experienced intimidation and forced disbandment by dozens of members of the Patriot Garuda Nusantara (PGN) mass organization. PGN masses came to the event venue several times and asked for the implementation of PWF 2024 to be stopped. In fact, PWF 2024 is a civil society forum which is intended as a space to criticize water privatization, and encourage water management for the welfare of the people.

In carrying out its dissolution, the PGN mass organization group used coercive, intimidating and unlawful methods. It was recorded that this group forcibly confiscated banners, billboards and agenda attributes, and even carried out physical violence against several forum participants.

These anti-democratic and violent actions were carried out without a clear academic basis. The mass organization group forced the committee and participants of PWF 2024 to disband the agenda because they were deemed to have violated the PJ Governor of Bali’s verbal appeal regarding the World Water Forum in Bali. It should be noted that this appeal does not have legal force and is binding, and actually violates the provisions of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of assembly, expression and expression of opinion.

Previously, several committees received intimidation and terror from state officials who asked them not to hold the PWF agenda. Several event venues also had to cancel, because venue managers were intimidated.

The recurrence of similar incidents in the momentum of international forum events is a human rights violation that is perpetuated. The constitution also guarantees freedom of assembly, speech and expression. This phenomenon further proves the State’s lack of commitment to promote and respect freedom of expression for its people, under the pretext of securing investment from investors, everything is being done to ensure that there is no ‘interference’ created from outside.

Therefore, we urge the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to:

1. Stop all forms of intimidation and violence in the implementation of PWF 2024, whether carried out by state officials or carried out by community organizations;
2. Urge the State to guarantee and fulfill citizens’ constitutional rights to be able to criticize without pressure.

CP:
Reza Sahib, National Coordinator KRUHA, +62 813-7060-1441
Rezky Pratiwi, Director LBH Bali, +62 895-3599-53959
I Nyoman Mardika, anti-corruption activist, Bali Care Forum, +62 812 3962 771
Roberto Hutabarat, secretary general of the Bali Pro-Democracy Forum +62 812-9558-377