Aceh Punks Update: Short-lived escapes, recaptures, contradictory officials, and Human Rights Watch

Since we reported on the goings on in the Aceh province of Indonesia a couple of weeks ago (link), there have been a fair few developments, as one might expect, including escapes and subsequent recaptures, wildly differing justifications from public officials, and a response from a representative of Human Rights Watch.

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Escapes, recaptures, and Aceh Chief Inspector's justification for immersing detainees' heads underwater

The Jakarta Globe has published a number of follow-up stories on the detainment of the Aceh punks, including an account of ongoing defiance, at least verbally, from some of the detainees. They've also published an eye witness account from a concert goer who managed to evade the police sweeps, detailing alleged violence by the police against the punks. That particular piece also includes some telling comments from Aceh Police Chief Inspector Gen. Iskandar Hasan, on the question of immersing the heads of detainees in a pond.

"I told them it’s a tradition. When I was still in the police academy, we were all pushed and plunged into a lake."

Another account has also emerged of two of the 'Aceh 64' escaping the re-education camp, only to be re-captured later after they returned to Taman Budaya, the city they were seized from .

Aceh officials, including Governor and Police Chief, offer contradictory accounts

Perhaps the most interesting development in recent weeks is the emerging gulf between particular official accounts of the detainment. The Jakarta Globe reported on the 21st of December that Banda Aceh Police Chief Armensyah Thay had justified the detainment by claiming that punk is at odds with the teachings of Islam. Armensyah is also reported to have told them that raids aimed at targeting and suppressing the growth of the local punk community will continue, at the request of the local administration, again, because of the belief that punk is at odds with Islam. When asked about the potential longevity of these efforts he was quoted as follows:

"Maybe, if there’s funding for us, we can continue their re-education on an extended basis until they’re better. After that we’ll hand them all over to the city government."

Assuming this coverage is accurate, it seems that the Police Chief's justifications for the actions of his force are in line with the popular perception of such, as presented in the world's media, that is to say that the Police Chief's justifications are religious in nature, and revolve around a notion of protecting the wider society in Aceh from the perceived threat of punk, and it's adherents, although, in the full text of the interview, published by The Jakarta Globe on the 23rd of December, Armensyah draws distinctions between "clean" punks "that exist in different classes", and the 64 young people his force swept off the street, detained without charge, confiscated the clothes of, and forced to undergo haircuts. When asked by the interviewer why, if hygiene is at issue, the police don't round up the homeless in Aceh, the Chief declared, "There are no homeless in Aceh, there are only punks."

The Deputy Mayor of Banda Aceh, Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal, seems to share Armensyah's view, at least insofar as such pertains to justifying the detentions, as he was quoted in an article two days prior calling punk a "social disease", arguing that punks deviate from the teachings of Islam.

As noted earlier, a contrary account has emerged from Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf, as published by The Jakarta Post. The article also picks up on the differences between his statements and the Police Chief's account detailed above. The Governor claimed that the youths had been detained for falsifying a permit for a gig. It isn't clear whether he is leveling this charge at all 64 of the young people detained, or only the ones who filed the application. When questioned about the much reported link between the detentions and the province's shariah law, the Governor is quoted as stating, "One has nothing to do with the other.", in direct contradiction to Banda Aceh's Police Chief and Deputy Mayor. He also denied that the 64 were arrested:

"It is untrue that the police arrested them. That’s not it. The truth is that the police are helping them develop [their skills]."

Human Rights Watch notes human rights abuses in treatment of detainees

Unsurprisingly, M. Choirul Anam from Human Rights Watch takes a decidedly different view to the officials referenced above and has been quoted in The Jakarta Post highlighting the multitude of ways the authorities have abused the human rights of the detainees, in the view of his organisation. He is quoted as saying:

"First, they violated freedom of expression. Punk is only a way to express oneself, just like a person wearing a necklace. The punk kids did not disturb public order, so the police do not have to catch them."

Anam went on to outline how the ways in which the detainees have been treated contravene the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which Indonesia has been bound to since signing it in 1985, before going on to attack the Aceh police's apparent disregard for due process of law:

"Last but not least, the youths did not receive proper legal treatment in this case. The police executed punishment against them without going through any legal channels. There will be more human rights violations if we don’t process this case legally."

Further Information:

After the first surge of attention from the world's media, there hasn't been an awful lot of follow up, outside of the Indonesian press, but we'll continue to keep track of the case as best we can. In the meantime, interested readers can check out our prior coverage of international appeals in support of the Aceh punks, and Propagandhi's views on the matter.

As ever, if you happen across newsworthy developments, please let us know via the submissions form.