Indonesia draft law to protect human rights activists: Dy Minister

This draft law officially introduces the right to be forgotten in order to protect individuals’ future rights and reputations,

Samarinda, East Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Human Rights Mugiyanto has assured that the draft revision to Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights will provide full legal protection for activists.

"They are guaranteed legal protection, meaning that they cannot be prosecuted or criminalized while carrying out peaceful, non-violent advocacy," Mugiyanto said during a public consultation on the Human Rights Draft Law here on Monday.

According to him, the government is actively conducting public consultations to gather substantive input directly from academics, activists, students, and business actors in various regions, including East Kalimantan.

"We want to be fully open to absorbing aspirations so that the resulting regulation is not one-sided or top-down," he said.

The Ministry of Human Rights also affirmed its position to maintain the existence of the country's four national human rights institutions in their entirety so that their functions remain strong within society.

Mugiyanto explained that, in addition to the issue of activist protection, the Human Rights Draft Law also provides legal certainty regarding digital rights, emphasizing equal treatment in both online and offline spaces.

"This draft law officially introduces the right to be forgotten in order to protect individuals’ future rights and reputations," he said.

The new provision would allow individuals to request the removal of records of their past from various social media platforms based on a court ruling.

Another substantive breakthrough introduced in the bill is the establishment of an Endowment Fund for the Advancement of Human Rights and Democracy, which will be managed through a trust fund mechanism.

"This financial support is expected to strengthen the work of indigenous community facilitators down to the grassroots level in reaching areas that have so far been untouched by the government," Mugiyanto said.

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Translator: Ahmad, Kenzu

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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