Police Respond to Human Rights Certification Proposal for Promotions

The Indonesian National Police (Polri) have responded to a proposal by Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai regarding a policy to make human rights certification a prerequisite for promotions. Polri asserts that human rights values have long been an integral part of its education system and performance assessments. Kadiv Humas Polri, Inspector General Johnny Eddizon Isir, explained that the promotion mechanism is strictly regulated by Chief of Police Regulation Number 3 of 2016 concerning Promotion Administration. He noted that ethical and professional aspects are monitored through specific instruments. “An individual’s eligibility is assessed implicitly through the Research Results Certificate (SKHP) from the Propam Division and the Performance Management System (SMK), which measures ethics and professionalism in law enforcement in the field,” Isir stated on Friday (17/7/2026). He emphasised that human rights material is not new within the police force, having been taught systematically as an independent subject at various levels of police education since the early 2000s. Despite the established curriculum, Polri views the Minister’s input as a strategic step for human resource development. In the future, a deep understanding or possession of a human rights certificate will be an added value, particularly in the selection for developmental education such as the Staff and Leadership School (Sespim). Previously, Minister Natalius Pigai revealed during a working meeting with Commission XIII of the House of Representatives on Tuesday (15/7) that the government is preparing a legal instrument to make human rights certification a mandatory requirement for state officials to hold certain positions. He detailed that within the police force, this requirement would target strategic positions from the sub-district to the provincial level. “Starting from the Police Sub-precinct Chief, Police Resort Chief, to Regional Police Chief, one of the prerequisites for promotion will be certification,” Pigai stressed. The main objective of the policy is to create a human rights compliance system that has a direct impact in the field, ensuring state actors have high awareness to avoid violations in carrying out their duties. The Ministry of Human Rights is currently finalising various regulations and legal instruments to support the policy, given that the ministry is a new nomenclature in the cabinet.