Since martial law began on May 19th, 2003, KOMNAS HAM has set up a body to conduct human rights monitoring in Aceh, headed by Mr. Billah, the head of KOMNAS HAM’s Aceh team. Mr. Billah is also the facilitator of the raided training session that is supposed to take place from October 19th to October 23rd. Before this training course, KOMNAS HAM had informed the regional martial law authority (PDMD) and also Polresta, the Police authority in Banda Aceh, that they would be holding this course.
On October 20th, during the morning session, two military representatives from the PDMD were included in the training programme, based on their request to be included as "participants". At lunchtime, both of them left the training session and at 3 p.m., around 20 troops and 20 police officers came to the Seulawah pavilion where the training session was being held. They turned off the lights in order to sabotage the training programme. The members of the military and the police tried to come in, but Mr. Billah prevented them from doing so. They asked for the lists of participants, but Mr. Billah refused to give it to them and also refused to stop the meeting, leading to an exchange of words and negotiations with the police who wanted to take him to headquarters for questioning.
On October 21st, PDMD troops still occupied the Seulawah pavilion. The police members denied that they had been informed about the training course and members of the military said that permission was needed to hold it. As part of the government, KOMNAS HAM clearly does not require permission to hold such a session. Since that time, the training session has been interrupted.
The Observatory is particularly concerned for the personal integrity of the participants in the training session, as the military are seeking to gain a list of their identities, and there are serious concerns that their integrity may be at risk as a result of this.
The Observatory urges the Indonesian authorities to ensure that the KOMNAS HAM training sessions be allowed to resume without any incident or interference from the military and police and to stop any kind of harassment or repression against human rights defenders in Indonesia, in particular in Aceh.
The Observatory urges the Indonesian authorities to conform with international human rights standards as these facts contradict the principles of freedom of association and of freedom of expression. They constitute violations of the U.N. Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, especially Article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels". According to Article 2, "each State has the prime responsibility and duty to protect, promote and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms". Article 5 guarantees the right to "meet or assemble peacefully; to form, join and participate in non-governmental organisations or groups; to communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organisations", for the purpose of promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.