Fathul Munif
Fathul Munif (Munif) is an environmental human rights defender, and literacy advocate. He is actively involved in community initiatives such as Aksi Kamisan Semarang, Maring Institut, Bersemai Sekebun, and Lauk Buku.
Since Indonesia’s transition to democracy, the role of human rights defenders has been of particular importance. The country’s record of its treatment of human rights defenders has been floundering, including ongoing surveillance and harassment, restrictions on the freedom of expression and freedom of religion, gender- specific violations against woman HRDs, judicial harassment including criminal defamation suits, stigmatisation, arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, torture, forced disappearances and killings. Impunity in cases of murders of HRDs and grave human rights violations continue to thrive.
In various provinces of Indonesia, political movements call for independence and/or self-determination. In these areas, individuals carrying out peaceful activities in defence of human rights are particularly at risk as they are targeted by both the authorities and insurgent groups. Attacks targetting defenders in West Papua have escalated in recent times, and the lack of media access to the region impacts the work of HRDs. Papuan rights activists have been arbitrarily arrested for peaceful demonstrations. LGBTI rights defenders are also particularly at risk, amidst increased anti-LGBTI rhetoric and discrimination. They are also threatened by extremist Islamist groups.
