Indonesia bans Hizbut group that seeks global caliphate, using decree criticised by rights groups
The measures follow months of sectarian tensions in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that shook the government and undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practising a moderate form of Islam
The Indonesian government on Wednesday officially disbanded the Indonesian branch of an international, pan-Islamic organisation over its activities regarded as unconstitutional.
The disbandment of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) occurred 10 days after President Joko Widodo issued a controversial decree shortening the procedures required for banning organisations whose activities and ideology threaten national unity.
The decree, which amended the 2013 Law on Mass Organisations, was issued in an apparent bid to crack down on radical Muslim groups with increasing political clout.
The facts on the field showed that many of its activities violated state ideology Pancasila and the national integrity
“Although in their statute HTI put Pancasila as its ideology, the facts on the field showed that many of its activities violated state ideology Pancasila and the national integrity,” Freddy Harris, director general of general law administration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said in a press statement on the disbandment.
The state ideology is based on the principles of consultative democracy, social justice, humanitarianism, the unity of Indonesia, and devotion to a single God, while the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship.
According to Harris, HTI and other groups and individuals banned under the decree still have legal options to challenge the government’s decision.
Before the disbandment, HTI had been recognised as a legal mass organisation in the country since 2005.
Widodo signed a government regulation to amend the current law on July 10 after considering that the law is “inadequate” to deal with groups bent on undermining the state ideology and the Constitution.
According to the law, “during an urgent situation” the president has the right to issue a government regulation in lieu of the law.
Under the decree, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has the authority to disband a mass organisation without a lengthy court process.
Jail sentences, which were not established in the 2013 law, will also be imposed on an organization’s members that commit radical, violent activities, including hostile acts against members of other ethnic groups and religions, and defame the country’s six official religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
The jail sentences range from six months to 20 years.
The government’s move comes amid growing support for radical organisations which exploited ethnic and religious sentiments during Jakarta’s last gubernatorial election.
Muslim intellectual Anies Baswedan won the April 19 election, dubbed the dirtiest the nation has ever seen, with the support of radical and conservative Islamic organisations, defeating the Christian incumbent, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.
