ICC Note:
The Jakarta Post has observed that there is rising religious intolerance in Indonesia. The paper says that the government has “turned a blind-eye” to the growing instance of intolerance against religious and ethnic minorities in the country. Over half of these instances were perpetrated by state actors rather than religious extremists. The police have tolerated this to an extent, perhaps because they choose to preserve stability or side with the majority rather than defend the minority, which could grow tension. The paper noted, “Such attitudes seem to make it difficult for law enforcement bodies to act decisively against intolerant groups.” Indonesia has seen growing tension among religious groups as the strong Muslim majority becomes increasingly influenced by ultra-conservative teachings bankrolled by Saudi investors.
2/5/2017 Indonesia (The Jakarta Post) – Religious intolerance in the country has risen following President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ascension to power in 2014 as the government has turned a blind-eye to increasing acts of intolerance against religious and ethnic minorities, a report has said.
The report from human rights watchdog Setara Institute revealed that violations of religious freedom increased to 208 incidents in 2016 from 197 in 2015 and 134 in 2014, while acts of religious intolerance increased to 270 last year from 236 in 2015 and 177 in 2014.
From 270 acts of intolerance, 140 acts reportedly involved state actors, including police officers and local administrations. Most of this intolerance occurred in the form of discriminative laws and indifference to intolerant behavior directed against minorities.
…
[Full Story]