Yusril: Persecution of Transgender Women in Bogor Cannot Be Justified

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has stressed that the persecution of a transgender group in Bogor, West Java, cannot be justified in a state governed by law. He stated that no one may use Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025 as a basis for intimidation, violence, or vigilante actions against citizens. “Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025 must not be used as an excuse to carry out persecution,” Yusril said when contacted in Jakarta on Monday. The persecution and violence against the transgender community in Bogor have drawn widespread public attention since mid-July 2026, after a video of intimidation by a group of youths went viral on social media. The attackers carried out unilateral street actions under the pretext of a “Bogor Clean of LGBT” movement. Yusril emphasised that Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025 on the General Policy for National Defence 2025-2029 must be understood in its entirety according to its purpose and must not be interpreted as legitimising persecution by the public. The state, he said, does not condone vigilante actions or any form of taking the law into one’s own hands. He stressed that Indonesia is a state governed by law, so any alleged violation must be resolved through legal mechanisms by the competent authorities. The substance of Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025, according to him, strengthens national resilience against non-military threats originating from the propagation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) ideologies and behaviours, including same-sex sexual relations and same-sex marriage being accepted as values or a lifestyle within society. Therefore, he said the scope of the regulation cannot be interpreted as a justification for discriminatory actions or violence against individuals. Yusril explained that the principle regulated in the presidential regulation is the prevention of the propagation of LGBTQ ideologies and behaviours as a non-military threat to national resilience. “So it does not grant authority to the public to persecute anyone,” he said. Yusril stated that the state remains obliged to guarantee the constitutional rights of every citizen as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution. He noted that behaviours prohibited by the state include pornography, pornographic acts, acts contrary to moral norms, and efforts to influence or propagate such ideologies and behaviours to others. However, as citizens, he continued, the LGBTQ community still possesses the same constitutional rights, including the rights to clothing, food, shelter, and a decent livelihood. Furthermore, he said the existence of this community is a social fact that cannot be denied. Therefore, it was stated that every citizen remains entitled to legal protection without exception, while law enforcement against any alleged violation is still carried out based on statutory provisions. “Differences of opinion that develop in society must not be used as a reason to eliminate a person’s basic rights as a citizen,” Yusril said. He explained that the state is obliged to protect every citizen from acts of violence, intimidation, or persecution, while simultaneously upholding the law in accordance with applicable regulations. He also urged all elements of society to exercise restraint and not to take actions contrary to the law. He affirmed that the government will continue to maintain a balance between protecting the constitutional rights of every citizen, enforcing national legal norms, and strengthening national resilience as mandated by Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025. Yusril also called on the entire public not to misinterpret Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2025. “Let us respect the law, leave law enforcement to the competent authorities, and together maintain public order, national unity, and respect for the human rights of every citizen,” he said.