Why Indonesia Sees Surge in Hate Crimes Against Trans Women

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amnesty International Indonesia has condemned a series of recent attacks against transgender women, or trans women, in the city of Bogor. The human rights organization has recorded three cases of such attacks in the past two months.Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said these are not mere criminal acts, but are classified as "persecution.""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," he said in a written statement on Friday, July 17, 2026.Amnesty: 'Trans women were beaten and chased down'According to reports received by Amnesty, there have been at least three instances of persecution against trans women in Bogor in the past two months, targeting ten transgender women. One of the cases allegedly occurred in Bubulak sub-district, West Bogor. Several trans women were chased and attacked by a group of 10 to 20 people, who recorded and broadcast their actions on social media.Based on Amnesty's report, the victims were beaten and wounded, and some even had urine poured on them and were pelted with bottles. Additionally, a group of people allegedly raided public transportation and hunted down the women. "The victims were also forced to remove their clothes, and even had their clothes torn by the attackers," Usman said.Trauma and difficulty looking for employmentNot only were trans women physically attacked, but Amnesty noted that the recent surge in persecution leaves these women traumatized and terrified of seeking a livelihood. "Some of the victims want to leave their jobs because of these persecutions," Usman added.However, according to him, trans women have long struggled to find formal jobs due to their appearance or gender identity. As a result, many trans women are forced to work in the informal sector: in beauty salons, as street buskers, or even commercial sex workers.Anti-LGBTQ Law fuels hate crimesAccording to Amnesty, the recent surge in persecutions is a result of Presidential Regulation Number 111 of 2025, which classifies the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community as a non-military threat.The rights watchdog has urged the Mayor of Bogor to take measures to protect the trans women in the city, including preventing similar incidents from recurring. "We also urge the police to arrest the attackers and ensure legal proceedings," Usman stated.Amnesty noted that under international law, persecution is a crime against humanity. Article 7 paragraph 1h of the Rome Statute defines persecution as "intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law by reason of the identity of the group."Such crimes have also been regulated under Law Number 26 of 2000 concerning Human Rights Courts. "The state has an obligation to prevent and punish the attackers," Usman said.Previously, several social media accounts circulated videos of people chasing, pouring, kicking, and throwing objects at a trans woman, which the narration referred to as a "crackdown" against the LGBT community.Several locations were cited, including the BTM Mall, Pasar Anyar, and Bubulak areas. The @bogorbersihlgbt account was cited several times as the source of the video.Tempo has asked for confirmation of the incident from several police personnel, including the Chief of Bogor City Police Resort, Commissioner Senior Rio Wahyu Anggoro; the Head of the Public Relations Division of the West Java Regional Police, Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan; and the Head of the Public Relations Department of the Bogor City Police Resort, Inspector Two Imam Dwi.As of the publication of this article , Tempo has yet to receive any statement from the police regarding the details of the incident. However, the Public Relations Officer of the Bogor City Police Resort, Police First Brigadier Imam Dwi, said he will inquire about the incident with the Police Resort personnel.Read: LGBTQ Culture Designated as a Non-Military ThreatClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News