Pigai Cancels Plan to Designate Human Rights Activist Status

Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai has cancelled the plan to determine the status of human rights defenders or activists.

This clarification was reiterated to correct misconceptions regarding Pigai’s earlier statements about forming an advisory team to determine the status of human rights defenders.

“In this context, the government must not regulate or enter civil territory. Therefore, it is highly unlikely for the government to enter, regulate, let alone determine who is a human rights defender and who is not, who is an activist and who is not. It is impossible for the government to enter. I state that it is impossible for the government to enter,” Pigai said at his office in Jakarta on Monday (4/5).

Pigai explained that the government, together with the legislature, is obliged to present a law regulating the protection of human rights defenders.

“That is what we will ensure: definite protection for human rights defenders,” Pigai said.

“Thus, it is clear that the government does not determine the status of human rights defenders or activists. It is highly unlikely because we are aware of international regulations, particularly the UN resolution on human rights defenders from 1998 and on women activists from 2013, which state that the state must not intervene,” he emphasised.

Previously, Pigai admitted to preparing the formation of an advisory team to ensure that legal protection is only given to parties performing the function of human rights defenders, alias human rights activists.

“There will be a team, an advisory team. The advisory team will then decide 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).

Pigai said the mechanism was designed to filter activist claims and prevent the misuse of status in legal processes.

However, the statement drew criticism from civil society to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

“In response to Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai’s statement regarding the Ministry of HAM’s plan to form an advisory team to assess and designate someone as a human rights defender, Komnas HAM opines that the plan is prone to conflicts of interest,” said Komnas HAM Commissioner Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi in his statement on Saturday (2/5), quoted from detik.com.

Pramono revealed the reason his side considered the discourse vulnerable to conflicts of interest due to complaints received by Komnas HAM over time.

“Because based on complaints received by Komnas HAM so far, threats to human rights defenders, or commonly known as activists, often involve rogue officials or state institutions, besides involving corporate parties,” he said.