DPR Member States State Must Protect All Human Rights Defenders, Not Determine Activist Status
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Chairman of DPR RI Commission XIII, Willy Aditya, has emphasised that the state is obligated to protect all human rights defenders, rather than determining who qualifies as an activist.
According to Willy, every individual fundamentally has the right to defend human rights, whether for themselves or others, so the state must be present to provide protection for them.
“The intention of Mr Pigai (Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai) is likely regarding the protection of human rights defenders. This aligns with the President’s commitments in the field of human rights. So it’s not about limiting who can be an activist or not,” said Willy when contacted by Kompas.com on Thursday (30/4/2026).
The NasDem Party politician explained that in many countries, protection for human rights defenders has become a special focus in promoting access to justice for victims.
In Indonesia, this role is actually already carried out by Komnas HAM, including in designating someone as a human rights defender so they can receive protection, one of which is from LPSK.
However, Willy highlighted that in the field, many human rights defenders still experience revictimisation.
Willy added that protection for human rights defenders is important because many of them do not come from the legal profession, so their vulnerability level is higher.
“If they are advocates, it’s a legal profession so they are protected. Meanwhile, people like Mak Saodah, for example, they are human rights defenders but not as a profession but rather awareness of their rights. This group also has the right to be protected,” he said.
Nevertheless, Willy assessed that the government’s discourse on determining the validity of human rights activist status could serve as an entry point to strengthen the protection system for human rights defenders in Indonesia.
“What the Human Rights Minister has conveyed must be welcomed positively and advanced into a discourse on protection for human rights defenders in Indonesia that is far more strategic,” he said.
Previously reported, the Government will become the determinant of the validity of the human rights activist status attached to an individual.
The Ministry of Human Rights is preparing an assessment team to ensure that legal protection is only given to parties who truly carry out the function of human rights defenders.
“There will be a team, an assessment team. The assessment team will then select whether this person is an activist or not,” said Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai in an exclusive interview with Antara in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/4/2026).