West Java Deputy Governor Threatens to Fire Civil Servants Involved in LGBT Networks

West Java Deputy Governor Erwan Setiawan has issued a threat of strict sanctions, including dismissal, against any civil servant within the West Java Provincial Government who is proven to be involved in or part of an LGBT network. This step is being taken as a form of the regional government’s serious commitment to combating the phenomenon, in coordination with the West Java Regional Leadership Coordination Forum to formulate strict legal enforcement. “I have said several times that we, the West Java Provincial Government, are fighting against LGBT in the West Java region,” Erwan said in a statement in Bandung on Sunday. He explained that any sanctions imposed on civil servants under his authority will strictly refer to the provisions of the legislation applicable to state apparatus. “If it is in accordance with the law, the heaviest sanction is dismissal. And if there is a criminal act, we will hand it over to law enforcement officials,” Erwan added. To narrow the space and detect potential violations within the government and public sphere, Erwan requested the active role of the wider community to dare to report if they find strong indications of legal violations related to such activities. The public is urged to immediately compile complaints along with valid supporting evidence so that they can be followed up quickly and appropriately by the relevant agencies and the police. “I hope the public will provide accurate reports, either to the police or to us, so that we can immediately take steps according to our authority,” he said. Separately, Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that the government is obliged to protect the public from various threats deemed capable of damaging the life of the nation and state. “The government is obliged to protect the people, the entire nation from the threat of moral degradation which will ultimately damage the joints of our social, national and state life,” he said. Yusril noted that the government has categorised the spread of LGBT as a non-military threat through Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025 on General Defence Policy.