The Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill Is Proposed, The House Of Representatives Highlights The Urgency And Attacks That Occur

The DPR MPR Building In Senayan Jakarta (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission XIII DPR RI Willy Aditya responded to the discourse on submitting a draft Law on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (HAM) by a number of human rights activists. He stated that Commission XIII of the DPR was open to dialogue with all elements of society regarding the proposal submitted by human rights activists.

According to Willy, proposals from the community will build better relations between state institutions such as the DPR and the community.

"Commission XIII is very open to anyone to submit proposals, suggestions, ideas, and even criticism of the administration of the state in the field of the DPR. Including for human rights activists," Willy told reporters, Thursday, July 17.

Willy also invited all elements of society to sit down together to deepen the urgency of proposals for the protection of human rights defenders in the DPR.

"Let's sit down together, sharpen ideas and continue to build harmony to build this country is very important," said the legislator from the East Java XI electoral district.

This proposal arose because human rights activists noted that there were more than 100 human rights defenders who experienced attacks in part-time 2025.

Willy said that the DPR paid special attention to the record of attacks on human rights defenders. According to him, law enforcement and existing regulations are important so that the rights of all citizens including human rights defenders are guaranteed.

The proposal for the Bill on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders needs to be seen from the deepest intentions. I see this proposal as an effort to provide certainty for all citizens in order to defend their rights, "explained Willy.

Furthermore, Willy said that all nationals are actually human rights defenders themselves in the context of dealing with state officials.

"In the context of protecting all citizens, it is this proposed bill on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders that needs to be synergized in the ongoing discussion of legal system reforms," said the chairman of the DPR Human Rights Commission.

Willy assessed that the facts that there was an attack on human rights defenders cannot be ignored. However, this NasDem faction member believes that a more comprehensive and scientific study is needed to make these facts the basis for the formation of a new law.

"There is an adage that we are increasingly producing laws that regulate all aspects of life, we are getting further and further away from democracy. Therefore, we need to absorb the urgency of the proposed Law on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders," said Willy.

"Such as the Criminal Procedure Code Revision Law, LPSK Law Revision, and other Sectoral Laws such as the Forestry Law, and others," he concluded.

Previously, Amnesty International Indonesia proposed a new law to protect human rights or human rights defenders. This proposal follows the many attacks on human rights defenders.

Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, on Tuesday, July 15, said that during the first semester of 2025, at least 104 human rights defenders were victims of attacks recorded in 54 cases.

Of the hundreds of human rights defenders who were victims, Amnesty International said more than half of the victims were members of the indigenous people who fought for their rights to land and also journalists who were attacked because of their journalistic work. There were 36 people who were attacked. In addition, 31 journalists were targeted by the attack.

Other human rights defenders who also experienced attacks were 8 community leaders, 7 fishermen, 4 human rights activists, 6 student activists, 3 environmental activists, 2 academics, 2 farmers, 1 anti-corruption activist, 1 labor activist, 1 advocate, 1 teacher, and 1 secret revealer.

In addition to targeting individual human rights defenders, the attack also led to human rights organizations that took place at the Commission's office for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). They received acts of terror by three unknown people after protesting against the discussion on the revision of the TNI Law at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta.

There are also various attacks on human rights defenders. Among them through reporting to the police, arrests, criminalization, intimidation, and physical attacks as well as attacks on institutions where human rights defenders work.