Arogan Attitude of the Apparatus, Civil Society Rights More Vulnerable

JAKARTA - The enforcement of civil society human rights (HAM) is increasingly vulnerable after several viral cases recently occurred, such as Sudrajat the cork ice seller and the Hogi Minaya case, the husband of the victim of a pickpocket in Sleman who was briefly a suspect.

Sudrajat, a cork ice seller since 2007, admitted that he had been subjected to violence by TNI and police personnel because he was accused of selling ice made from sponges and toxic.

However, after the examination, the police stated that the ice sold by Sudrajat did not contain harmful substances as alleged.

The police apologized, and gave gifts, including one motorcycle unit from the Depok Police Chief.

Another story is the one experienced by Hogi Minaya. The incident happened a long time ago, precisely on April 26, 2025 at the Janti Flyover. At that time, Hogi chased two motorcyclists who snatched his wife's bag, Arista Minaya.

During the pursuit process, there were several times of scuffle until the motorcyclist was hit and bounced. The perpetrator of the robbery died on the spot.

Several months after the incident, the Sleman Police Traffic Unit named Hogi as a suspect and charged him with the Traffic Law.

The determination of the suspect status went viral after the wife uploaded the story she experienced through the X account.

This case then ended peacefully after the Sleman District Attorney's Office, Yogyakarta Special Region, facilitated a meeting between Hogi and the family of the pickpocket. Both parties agreed to take the restorative path or settle the case outside the court.

From the two cases, the Human Rights Educators Association (Sepaham) said that the facts on the ground showed that civil supremacy was narrowing.

The cases experienced by Sudrajat and Hogi Minaya seem to confirm the tendency of criminalization and the birth of policies that harm the rights of citizens are increasing in recent times.

Sepakat sees this situation putting civil society in a vulnerable position, especially when they do not have enough knowledge and networks to defend themselves.

Sepaham Chairman Muktiono highlighted the human rights situation in Indonesia which was considered in line with the decline in the quality of democracy. He said that the narrowing of the civil space, the strengthening of the military's role, and the changes to the new Criminal Procedure Code and Criminal Code regulations needed to continue to be critically monitored.

Meanwhile, a police observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) Bambang Rukminto assessed that the designation of suspects for victims of crimes such as those experienced by Hogi Minaya has the potential to lead to criminalization and human rights violations.

In determining someone as a suspect, Bambang said law enforcement officers must rely on strong evidence and pay attention to the element of mens rea or the intention of the perpetrator.

"When suspecting someone of committing a criminal act, the police must start with sufficient evidence, not just assumptions," said Bambang.

"And more importantly, whether there is or is not a suspected reapada before being upgraded to a suspect," he added.

According to him, the incident in Sleman was an unexpected event, a reflex because his wife was robbed, reflexively he took action to help his wife.

If there is an accident, it is not included in the framework of eliminating life, but rather in the framework of arresting or stopping the act of snatching.

"The police should have been alert to see that," he said.

Regarding the incident experienced by Sudrajat, Amnesty International Indonesia's media manager Haeril Halim said that the incident once again showed the arrogance of law enforcement officials against small communities.

"And it further confirms that the law in this country is blunt upwards, sharp downwards," he said.

Haeril added that the apology and the gift given to Sudrajat were not enough to resolve the act of torture that occurred.

He actually encouraged that a criminal process be carried out so that it could have a deterrent effect and break the chain of violence committed by the police.

"If an apology is considered sufficient, this kind of incident will continue to occur in society. It's time for law enforcement to reform and carry out a total reform so that there is no more impunity for the police who commit violence," said Haeril.

Similarly, Bambang Rukminto from ISESS also encouraged the police to have vigilance and empathy for crime victims.

And, before determining the suspect, it is necessary to conduct a strict examination, namely based on sufficient evidence and through scientific investigative efforts, including through the examination of witnesses and forensic examination.