28 August 2022
Participation, engagement and leadership by victims can support transitional justice after conflict, according to new research by Impunity Watch and Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR).
The research examines victim-led advocacy in Indonesia to understand how victims participate, create and lead social movements in the absence of formal transitional justice. It comes from interviews with representatives of victim groups from five provinces – Papua, Aceh, Yogyakarta, and Central and South Sulawesi.
New paths for transitional justice
Indonesia still struggles with a legacy of mass violations, 23 years after the fall of the ‘New Order’ (1967-1998). Furthermore, promises made in the early months of ‘Reformasi’ to acknowledge crimes, expose abuses of power and undertake reconciliation have remained unfulfilled.
Despite these barriers, victim groups have forged new paths for transitional justice. This includes lobbying for reparations for affected individuals and communities.
This research is part of a broader multi-year comparative research project: ‘Promoting access to justice through victim participation: Foregrounding informal processes’. The project is led by Impunity Watch and research teams from the DRC, Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Syria, and Tunisia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Dutch Postcode Lottery have supported the project.
Download the report here:
Image: A collection of photos of victims of human rights violations in Aceh (Simpang KKA Aceh). © AJAR/ Anne-Cécile Esteve