Indonesia sees surge in hate crimes against trans women, Amnesty International condemns 'persecution'

Amnesty International Indonesia has strongly condemned a recent spate of violent attacks against transgender women in Bogor, labeling the incidents as "persecution" rather than mere criminal acts.

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Chasing down, beating, humiliating, and attacking a group of people with violence simply because of their gender expression and identity is a grave violation of human rights.

Executive Director Usman Hamid stated that chasing, beating, humiliating, and attacking individuals based on their gender expression and identity constitutes a grave human rights violation. Amnesty has documented at least three such incidents in Bogor over the past two months, affecting a total of ten transgender women. These attacks have included severe physical assaults, with victims reportedly being beaten, urinated on, and pelted with bottles. In some cases, assailants allegedly raided public transportation to hunt down the women, forcing them to remove or tearing their clothes.

The human rights organization highlighted the profound trauma and fear these attacks inflict, forcing some victims to abandon their jobs. This exacerbates the existing challenges transgender women face in securing formal employment due to their appearance or gender identity, often compelling them into informal sectors like beauty salons, street busking, or sex work.

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The victims were also forced to remove their clothes, and even had their clothes torn by the attackers.

Amnesty International points to Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025 as a contributing factor to the rise in hate crimes. This regulation classifies the LGBTQ community as a "non-military threat," which the organization argues fuels discrimination and violence. Amnesty is urging the Mayor of Bogor to implement protective measures and prevent future incidents, while also calling on the police to arrest the perpetrators and ensure legal proceedings.

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Some of the victims want to leave their jobs because of these persecutions.

Under international law, persecution is recognized as a crime against humanity. Amnesty emphasizes that Indonesia, as a state party to the Rome Statute, has an obligation to prevent and punish such acts, which are also addressed in national human rights legislation.

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We also urge the police to arrest the attackers and ensure legal proceedings.