Indonesia AG’s office rescinds policy barring LGBT individuals News
Indonesia AG’s office rescinds policy barring LGBT individuals

The Office of the Attorney General of Indonesia announced [Jakarta Post report] Thursday that it would rescind a policy that banned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals from becoming employees.

The controversial policy had been denounced by human rights groups, who have expressed concern that the LGBT community has faced continued persecution at the hands of the government over the past year. Muhammad Nurkhoiron, commissioner of the Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission, spoke [HRW report] critically of the policy, including the portion that likened being LGBT to having a mental illness.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo spoke last October on the issues that face the country in regards to attacks and discrimination against the LGBT community. Widodo instructed [BBC report] the police to protect members of the LGBT community from persecution, urging that “there should be no discrimination against anyone.”

In July President Widodo signed a decree that enacted [JURIST report] a ban on radical groups throughout the country. Activists have warned that this step could lead to continued human rights abuses by the government.