Minority Discrimination

Bunga, not her real name, ….

She recalled how easy it was to mingle with people of the community she was living in.

It was easy to mingle with people despite being a trans.

She used to casually talk with her neighbors in Jakarta.

She has been living there since migrating from her hometown in Wonogiri.

She feels the growing prejudice against her and

She feels she has become isolated.

They don’t even accept our monthly garbage fees now.

I just give them directly to the garbage collector on duty.

The rejection and hostility against members of community are worsening.

In the muslim-majority country, they often become objects of persecution and state-sponsored raids…

Though no laws have been made against them.

Regional administrations (pemerintah daerah) and government officials (pegawai pemerintah) often issue regulations and statements that strip the community of their right.

Depok has issued an anti x task-force in what they claim to be an attempt to cure the minority group.

they have been told by residents to leave a boarding house they have lived in for years.

We reject the presence of the groups. Reads a banner raised in front of the boarding house.

Similar signs can be found in other part of the area.

Some xx residents from neighborhood units (RT) have signed a petition …to support their expulsion.

The signatures have been submitted to the subdistrict head …

Residents are demanding that the official take action.

The protest has been initiated by officials (pengurus) from a nearby Mosque Welfare Council (DKM).

The protest is an attempt to prevent residents from resorting to vigilantism.

They have been accused of prostitution.

This is our attempt to settle the issue.

 We take this step because we want to do things legally.

if I was younger, I would have suggested to burn the house down.

Because I am older now, such an idea didn’t cross my mind. (terlintas dalam benak).

The area is known as a strong hardline Islam defenders front (fpi).

a person residing in the boarding house, who ..

she requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

He denied accusation that they were prostitutes.

We have not broken any rules.

We always abide by regulations - set in the neighborhood, including not receiving any guests.

The landlady defended them.

She has been called an atheist.

She has been blamed for stirring up tension.

They have lived in the boarding house for 5 years.

Some of their friends who have been living in the area for 10 years or longer have never been threatened until now.

They have been physically abused so far, but they do not know what will happen.

The landlady also requested anonymity.

She is known as devout muslim.

She defended them because she knew they would be rejected elsewhere.

What am I supposed to do?

My reputation is ruined, but I feel I need to protect them because ..

They will not be welcomed anywhere else

It is not about money.

They are not punctual when it comes to paying their rent anyway.

She has developed strong bond with them and

She has considered them her own family.

I know how hard their lives are.

I know one thing is sure : they never forget to send money to their family.

the residents could not trespass onto the women’s private lives…as long as the landlady did not mind their presence.

She is a well-known rights activists.

She attributed the threats have been employed by politicians to get votes.


our Pancasila (state ideology of) guarantees equal justice for all. But

We all know they always face discrimination.

They are the most vulnerable of the group as their physical appearance makes them easily noticeable.

When caught in raids, they were often treated harshly and even …

They are forced to pay money to be freed from detention.

the sentiment has also forced the annual miss beauty pageant to be conducted in secret.

It used to be held out in open.

==

Dozens of men attacked 2 trans people in Bekasi.

She is an activist. She requested anonymity.

She knew the victim well.

One of them has just arrived at the scene at around midnight.

She arrived for a gathering with fellow trans people. While …

The other one or the victim had already been waiting at the scene.

Not long after that, around 50-60 men in white clothing on motorcycles clashed the 2 people.

They parked their motorcycles, and then

They clashed the victim on foot and caught them in front of Hokben outlet.

They forced one of them who looked more feminine , but then

They told her to put her clothes back on upon seeing her breast,

While continuing the assault with a 50 centimeter long metal rod

And they continuing cutting off her long hair.

Meanwhile the other victim who wore a short-hair wig and therefore appeared more masculine,

He was stripped naked.

He was hit on the chest and had the wig removed by force, while the men shouted:

You are a man, right?

Don’t you know that it is a sin (to be trans).

The victims cried and call for mercy, saying Ya Al

There is no All for you. No need to mention A.

You don’t deserve to have been born.

The men who assaulted the victims were still very young, with those aged x-x years.

They continuing to attack the victims even though the older ones (around 25 years of age) had told them to stop.

They returned to their bikes after that and left the scene.

Several onlookers, including restaurant employees, came to help and clothed the victims.

They advised them to report the incident to the police.

But the victim were reluctant to do so.

--

7 trans people have been told by residents to leave a boarding house they are currently staying at.

We reject the presence of x group, states a banner put up in front of the boarding house.

The neighborhood unit head was collecting signatures from residents to expel them.

One of the people affected who requested anonymity.

They have been accused of prostitution.




The boarding house is home to 8 people.

The eight room is being occupied by a midwife.

Many more trans people resided in the area.

We have not been physically abused so far, but we do not know what will happen.

She lamented the situation.

It has been employed by politicians to get votes.

.


She suggested them seek assistance from right groups to make sure they got justice.

--

several regional authorities are planning to create regulations designed to further curtail the right of the community
paya is set to revise a 2016 bylaw on social ills to introduce several articles specifically banning their activities to prevent the deviant behavior from spreading.


Their intention to include provisions regarding x is feasible.

West Sumatra is known as one of the most religiously conservative provinces in the country.

It has been gripped by anti x hysteria.

He has called on villages to enact regulation to impose sanctions, including parading them or forcing them to pay a hefty fine.

Local government and legislators in Waringin have agreed to draft a bylaw to restrict their activities.

The draft bylaw was initiated bsed on the belief that the peole have detrimental impact on society.

They expect to begin deliberations and pass the draft bylaw next year.

I thank the council for this.

I hope the plan can materialize as soon as possible because it is alarming.

It is an infectious disease and against religious norms.

It conclude that it was neither a mental disorder nor a sickness.

some regional administrations have refrained from enacting a formal law.

The choose a softer policy by issuing a circular encouraging the public to fight x.

The couple has been charged with violating indecency articles in the ……law

It was common for this sentiments to rise during election season.

Regional heads just follow the trend of other regions that have issued similar bylaws.

And the central government will never dare take action. The police back the regional heads.

I don’t think political parties will dare to speak up about protecting them, even the leading nationalist party.

Politic was behind the recent attempt to enact discriminatory regulations.

Even though they have authority to enact bylaws, it wasnot a license to discriminate against minority groups.

--




The men then forced her to strip but then told her to put her clothes back on after seeing her breasts. 

They assaulted her with a metal rod and cut off her long hair.

The other victim, was stripped naked,  was hit on the chest, and had the wig removed by force.

“There is no Allah for you. No need to mention Allah. You don’t deserve to have been born,”

 “Fortunately, they still had their mobile phones and money to order a taxi home,”

 “They have bruises around the eyes and chest as well as cuts on their limbs.”(anggota tubuh)

Earlier this week, seven people were told to leave their boarding house by some of their neighbors. 

This is the first time that something like this has happened to them. 

Several men have also harassed and pulled another friend’s hair.

“But she chose not to go to the police because she was too scared.”

However, after Monday’s incident, she was determined to do something to stop such attacks. 
The victims reported the attack to the Bekasi Police on Wednesday.

They also went to Hospital to undergo a medical examination to record their wounds and complete the report.

He has not received any information about the report.

“What report?” he asked the The Jakarta Post. “What were they doing on the streets? 

A police officer should never ask such questions when a hate crime is reported.
“What they did on the streets should never be the focus of the investigation.”