A presidential spokesperson has said there is “no room” for an LGBT rights movement in Indonesia in response to a HRW report criticising the government’s failure to protect “unprecedented attacks” on LGBT this year.
The HRW report, named “These Political Games Ruin Our Lives”: Indonesia’s LGBT Community Under Threat, highlights comments made by government ministers earlier this year and the backlash this has had on the safety of the community.
“A series of anti-LGBT public comments by government officials grew into a cascade of threats and vitriol against LGBT Indonesians by state commissions, militant Islamists, and mainstream religious organizations,” the report says.
Presidential spokesman Johan Budi responded to the report’s claims in a text message to Reuters:
"As a citizen, whoever the person is will have his rights protected, without looking at his sexual preference. But if LGBT means a mass movement to influence other parties to become like them, then there's no room here.”
Anti-LGBT sentiment in January and February of this year saw mentions of LGBT banned from TV and radio and a government minister suggesting LGBT should be barred from university campuses.
Reuters also reported that for Indonesian LGBT activist Dede Oetomo said Budi's remark did not come as a surprise but it showed "the president doesn't understand human rights.
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Reader's Comments
Educate the people, and be wary of hrw
Or maybe not ? Then, they should say frankly : "We don't want LGBT tourists", so it will be clear we have to go to other LGBT-friendly countries in Asia, like Taiwan and Thailand.
The only way we have to help LGBT Indonesians is to threat this country with a tourism boycott.
Oh. You're right. It's the same thing.
Let's assume 10% of the world is gay. You get your country's gays to affect another country's gays, that's 0.1 x 0.1 = 1% effective. But you have to get every gay on board, something you're not even trying to achieve.
Just talk to people, travel, be open, honest, and most important patient.
Beware of hrw.
Malaysia's just had a taste of it. ;)
Only when enough gay people and their friends stop buying Indonesian products and as tourists there, will Indonesia get the message.
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