Minister Pigai's Proposal for Certifying Human Rights Activists Criticised, Deemed Prone to Conflicts of Interest

The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has criticised the plan by the Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, to form an assessment team to designate individuals as human rights activists. The proposal is deemed problematic and likely to create conflicts of interest.

Komnas HAM Commissioner Pramono U. Tanthowi stated that the move is vulnerable because threats against activists often involve state entities. “In response to Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai’s statement regarding the Ministry of Human Rights’ plan to form an assessment team to evaluate and designate someone as a Human Rights Defender, Komnas HAM believes that the plan is prone to conflicts of interest,” Pramono said on Thursday, 30 April 2026.

According to Pramono, based on complaints received by Komnas HAM, threats against human rights defenders, commonly known as activists, frequently involve rogue officials or state institutions, in addition to corporations. Therefore, he questioned the objectivity of the Ministry of Human Rights, as part of the government, in assessing activists, especially when the government is often the party being reported in such cases.

“It raises the question whether the Ministry of Human Rights can objectively confront the state or government when threats against Human Rights Defenders involve rogue officials or government institutions?” he continued.

According to Komnas HAM, advocacy activities and critical stances towards power are fundamental rights of citizens that must be respected and protected, not regulated through a certification mechanism.

To date, the mechanism for designating Human Rights Defenders has been carried out by Komnas HAM as an independent institution, with the aim of protection rather than labelling.

This scheme is regulated under Komnas HAM Regulation Number 5 of 2015, which allows human rights defenders to receive protection, including in legal processes and access to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK).

Komnas HAM also encourages the government to focus on strengthening regulations, including through revisions to the Human Rights Law, to make protection for human rights defenders clearer and stronger.

It should be noted that previously, the Government through the Ministry of Human Rights was preparing to establish an assessment team to verify the status of individuals claiming to be activists.

This policy is said to aim to ensure that legal protection is only provided to those who truly carry out roles as human rights defenders.