20 hours ago
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February 21, 2025 | 12:43 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) responded to the punk group Sukatani, who pulled their song titled "Bayar Bayar Bayar" from all music platforms and apologized to the National Police Chief (Kapolri) and the police institution.
The head of PBHI, Julius Ibrani, said they received information that members of Sukatani were unreachable by their management as they traveled from Bali to Banyuwangi after performing. "It is strongly suspected that there are members of the Indonesian National Police who intimidated and forced them to apologize for the song 'pay the police'," he said in an official statement on Friday, February 21, 2025.
PBHI, he said, sees the intimidation of Sukatani's artwork as a systematic and structural human rights violation. This is because there are state elements as perpetrators, namely the police.
Julius explained that the right to freedom of expression, especially in arts, is part of the culture that is a cornerstone of the nation's progress. Therefore, the intimidation and repressive actions allegedly carried out by the police against Sukatani violate the guarantees of freedom of artistic expression in the law.
The relevant regulations are Article 28E paragraphs (2) and (3) of the 1945 Constitution, Article 23 paragraph (2) of the Human Rights Law to the Law on Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
"PBHI reminds that restrictions and repression of freedom of expression in the form of artistic work are the characteristics of the authoritarian regime of the New Order," said Julius. "Repression of the Sukatani Band is a repetitive feature of the authoritarian New Order regime, and the silent intelligence-based approach is the hallmark of the New Order's Pangkopkamtib."
Therefore, PBHI urges state institutions such as the Ministry of Culture to take a firm stand to guarantee the freedom of expression and artistic work of the Sukatani Band. He also asked the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to be active in monitoring and investigating alleged human rights violations and to cooperate with the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) on ethical violations and criminal acts in suppressing the freedom of Sukatani on the way home.
"PBHI also urges President Prabowo Subianto to take firm action against the Chief of National Police for his repressive actions," said Julius. The President, as the direct superior of the National Police Chief, he continued, will be affected if such violations continue to occur.
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