Indonesian Environmental Activist Sentenced to Prison
Residents Criticize Beach Pollution from Shrimp Farms
Human Rights Groups Protest Court Ruling
A court sentenced an Indonesian environmental activist who wrote that someone "has a shrimp brain" to prison.
On the 6th (local time), according to the Jakarta Post, on the 4th, the Central Java District Court recognized environmental activist Daniel Maurits Tangkilisan's charge of spreading hate speech online. He was sentenced to 7 months in prison and fined 5 million rupiah (about 430,000 KRW).
In November 2022, Daniel, an environmental activist, posted a video on Facebook showing a beach in Karimun Java and the surrounding area. In the comments, he wrote that local residents with "shrimp brains" (Otak Udang) were operating shrimp farms to eat shrimp for free, thereby polluting the environment. In Indonesia, "shrimp brain" is used to mean someone is stupid.
Indonesian prosecutors charged Daniel with violating the Information and Electronic Transactions Law and sought a 10-month prison sentence. This law in Indonesia includes provisions that prohibit spreading information with the intent to incite hatred against specific religions or groups.
After the Indonesian court also found his post guilty of inciting hatred against local residents, Daniel's side announced their intention to appeal. He reportedly argued, "This case is about applying environmental protection laws to the local residents, not about Daniel."
Environmental and civic groups in Indonesia also collectively criticized the ruling.
Reinaldo Sembiring, Secretary-General of the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), opposed the court ruling, saying, "Daniel's post did not threaten anyone's life," and "What he has been fighting for is to guarantee a healthy and good environment for everyone."
Indonesian TikToker Rina Lutpiwati. She is a lifestyle influencer with over 2 million TikTok followers and runs a business in India. [Photo by Lutpiwati TikTok capture]
Human rights organizations also pointed out that "the defamation provisions under Indonesia's Information and Electronic Transactions Law are applied too strictly, which can target minorities and social activists."
Previously, last year, Indonesian TikTok influencer Lina Lutfiati, who had 2 million subscribers, was sentenced to prison after posting a 'pork skin mukbang' video. Before eating, she performed the Islamic prayer "In the name of Allah (Bismillah)," and was ultimately punished with a 2-year prison sentence for insulting Islam.
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