A total of 1,040 village professional assistants (TPP) or village assistants reported the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT) to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).
Previously, these village assistants also reported to the Indonesian Ombudsman with the same complaint. To Komnas HAM, they reported on alleged violations of the human rights of village assistants because they were threatened with termination of their work contract in 2025 just because they had been candidates for legislative members (caleg).
"We have just received a complaint from fellow village assistants. What we have complained to us is that there are allegations that they have experienced unilateral layoffs by the Ministry of Villages which have been contracted for years since the Village Law existed," said Komnas HAM Commissioner Anis Hidayah at the Komnas HAM Office, Central Jakarta, Thursday, March 6.
After the report was received, Anis said that Komnas HAM would analyze whether or not there were allegations of human rights violations related to the unilateral termination of employment by the Ministry of Villages PDT.
"We will certainly follow up. On a mechanism, of course, Komnas HAM will need time to follow up on reports submitted by village assistants," said Anis.
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Continuing, the representative of the village assistant, Hendriyatna, said that his party did not understand why the Kemendes PDT added a new clause in a work contract that required village assistants to resign if they had previously left.
In fact, according to Hendriyatna, the Minister of Village for the previous period did not prohibit village assistants who wanted to leave the 2024 General Election from resigning from their jobs.
Then the General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia has also issued a circular stating that legislative candidates who work as TPP are not required to resign or take leave from their jobs.
"Bawaslu has never questioned us. There has never been a complaint that the legislative candidate from the village assistant committed acts against the law or the election law," explained Hendriyatna.
However, in January 2025, the BPSDM of the Ministry of Villages PDT issued a Work Order (SPK) in which there was an attachment of a statement that had to be signed by the TPP, with a narrative ready to be unilaterally dismissed if it was proven that he had run for legislative candidate.
"This is already a violation of human rights. We are humans, not animals. We are humans, not goods. But suddenly we are considered as if we were not humans," explained Hendriyatna.
"It is our human right to work. Our human rights are to earn a decent income," he added.
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