Women's Group Criticises Persecution of Transgender Women in Bogor

The Chairwoman of Perempuan Mahardhika, Mutiara Ika Pratiwi, has criticised the Bogor City Government and the Bogor City Police for conducting raids against groups of transgender women, or transpuan, in Bogor. Mutiara assessed that the action constitutes a violation of human rights. “It is a deeply shameful act and clearly violates human rights,” she said on Saturday, 18 July 2026. The Bogor City Government previously carried out raids on transpuan groups. The operation was conducted by joint officers consisting of the municipal police unit, the social service, and the Bogor City Police.

She stated that transpuan groups are in a vulnerable position and have faced violence recently, even though they possess the same rights that must not be compromised. “Basic and fundamental rights like any other citizen, namely the right to life and freedom from all forms of violence,” she said. The state should guarantee their protection, she added, especially as the actions of the Bogor City Government will determine Indonesia’s democracy indicators. “What should be sought and imprisoned are the perpetrators of violence against transpuan in Bogor,” she said.

Criticism was also voiced by Amnesty International Indonesia. Its Executive Director, Usman Hamid, said the actions were not merely criminality but a form of persecution. “Chasing, beating, humiliating, and attacking a group of people with violence simply because of their gender expression and identity is a gross violation of human rights,” Usman said in a written statement on Friday, 17 July 2026. According to reports received by Amnesty, there have been at least three cases of persecution of transpuan in Bogor City in the last two months, with ten transpuan becoming victims.

One of the persecutions allegedly occurred in Bubulak Village, West Bogor District. The transpuan were chased and targeted for violence by perpetrators. The act was allegedly carried out by a group of ten to twenty people, who recorded their own actions and broadcast them on social media. Based on Amnesty’s reports, the victims were beaten until they sustained injuries. Some victims were doused with urine and had bottles thrown at them by the perpetrators. Additionally, a group of people allegedly conducted raids by stopping public minivans and hunting transpuan. “The victims were also forced to remove their clothes, which were then torn by the perpetrators,” Usman said.

The transpuan were not only victims of physical violence. Amnesty noted that the recent persecution has also traumatised the transpuan and made them afraid to earn a living. “Some of the victims want to leave their jobs because of this persecution,” Usman said. He added that transpuan have long struggled to find work in the formal sector due to their appearance or gender identity, forcing many to work in the informal sector, such as salon workers, street musicians, and commercial sex workers.

Amnesty stated that the recent wave of persecution is a consequence of the ratification of Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025, which categorises LGBT groups as a non-military threat. Previously, several social media accounts circulated videos showing a number of people chasing, dousing, kicking, and throwing objects at a transpuan. The circulating narrative described the action as a “crackdown” on the LGBT community. Locations mentioned as sites of the attacks include the BTM Mall area, Pasar Anyar, and Bubulak. The account @bogorbersihlgbt was cited several times as the source of the videos. Tempo has sought confirmation from several police personnel, including Bogor City Police Chief Commissioner Rio Wahyu Anggoro, West Java Regional Police Public Relations Head Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, and Bogor City Police Public Relations Section Head Inspector Imam Dwi. As of the publication of this report, Tempo has not received details from the police regarding the incident.