Indonesia: Human Rights

Publisher Marketing: Indonesia is a multi-party democracy. In 2009 voters re-elected Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as president. Domestic and international observers judged the 2009 legislative and presidential elections free and fair. Authorities generally maintained effective control over security forces; however, there were instances in which elements of the security forces committed human rights abuses. The government failed to conduct transparent and credible investigations into some allegations of extrajudicial killings by security forces. The government did not always protect the rights of religious and social minorities and economically marginalized citizens. The government applied treason and blasphemy laws to limit freedom of expression by peaceful independence advocates in the provinces of Papua and West Papua and by religious minority groups. Corruption, abuse of prisoners and detainees, harsh prison conditions, trafficking in persons, child labor, and failure to enforce labor standards and worker rights continued as problems. On some occasions the government punished officials who committed abuses, but judicial sentencing often was not commensurate with the severity of offenses, as was true in other types of crimes.