Minister Of Human Rights Asks Officials To Distinguish Protesters And Riots

Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai at a press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday (2/9/2025). ANTARA/Agatha Olivia Victoria

JAKARTA - Minister of Human Rights (HAM) Natalius Pigai asked law enforcement officials (APH) to firmly and clearly distinguish and separate protesters and rioters.

According to him, the separation is important because there is information that several demonstrators and rioters are currently being held in police institutions.

"That must be firm, which ones are categorized as protesters and which are categorized as rioters," Pigai said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 2.

Therefore, he said, the treatment or enforcement of the law provided must also be distinguished between rioters who are against the law and protesters or demonstrators who only convey their aspirations.

Pigai emphasized that the government's position in handling demonstrations was clear, namely based on the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as stated by President Prabowo Subianto.

When the President conveyed the handling of demonstrations based on the ICCPR, said Pigai, all government policies, especially executives, were under the framework of implementation of various technical instructions and follow-up from the ICCPR.

He explained several aspects of the substance regarding ICCPR, namely conveying thoughts, opinions, and expressing feelings is a human right, as emphasized by the President.

"So every citizen has the right to express opinions, thoughts, and express their feelings," he said.

The National Police previously stated that they arrested 3,195 people from the masses involved in violent demonstrations from various regions in Indonesia.

"For temporary data collected from the Regional Police, 387 people have been sent home, 55 people have been named suspects, and 2,753 are in the investigation stage," said Head of the Public Information Bureau (Karopenmas) of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, Monday (2/9).

The action followed up on the President's direction which ordered the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto to take firm steps to deal with the anarchist actions that occurred in a number of areas.