Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said Indonesian President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's comments this week on religious fundamentalism is evidence the leader has a “democracy problem”.
The international human rights watchdog posted on their website a sharp critique of Jokowi's Wednesday speech, saying it was a thinly-veiled attempt at portraying democracy as the root cause for the country’s rise in religious intolerance.
Speaking to a collective of political parties at an event in West Java, Jokowi said political freedom had “paved the way for extreme political practices”.
“Many people have asked me if our democracy has gone too far. My answer is yes, it has,” Jokowi told the crowd.
In his speech, Jokowi railed against “liberalism, radicalism, sectarianism and fundamentalism," labelling them “against Pancasila,” the official philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state.
Deputy Director of HRW’s Asia Division Phelim Kine blasted the speech, writing that “scapegoating can’t hide intolerance-fueling policy failures”.
“Jokowi needs to stop blaming democracy for rising religious intolerance,” Mr Kine said.
“It’s also a failure to recognise how government policies have empowered militant groups.”
Jokowi’s comments come as Jakarta’s first ethnic Chinese and Christian Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama faces the possibility of a five-year jail term over charges of blasphemy.
Ahok is the most recent high-profile target of Indonesia’s controversial blasphemy law.
“Indonesia’s legal system perpetuates discrimination against religious minorities,” Mr Kine said.
“The blasphemy law has even been used to prosecute and imprison members of religious minorities and traditional religions.”
Mr Kine accused Jokowi of turning a blind eye to worsening acts of discrimination, harassment and violence by militant Islamists against religious minorities and the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population.
“The complicity of police and government officials in this intolerance has continued unchecked under Jokowi,” Mr Kine said.
Jokowi is scheduled to arrive in Australia on Saturday for talks with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
