Indonesia: Leave Punks Alone!

Care2 subscriber since Jul 5, 2011

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On multiple occasions, Indonesian police have rounded up a group of young "punks" and detained them for "re-education." These adolescents have the right to express themselves!

Indonesia: Leave Punks Alone!

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Dear Indra,

Just like other teens around the world, the "punks" in Indonesia like to put on concerts, dress in distinctive ways and hang out with their friends. They certainly don't mean any harm to anyone. Yet they continuously face persecution and oppression by local authorities.

In 2011, dozens of young men and women were rounded up at a show they'd staged for local orphans. They were taken to a police detainment center, where their heads were forcibly shaved and where they were trapped for ten days. Officials said it was "for their own good."

And the abuse didn't stop there. In April 2012, a homeless punk couple were forcibly caned. Though there have been fewer public crackdowns since then, a recent report by Vice TV found that the punks in Indonesia's Aceh province a re still frequently harassed, threatened and beaten.

No one should be punished for living a lifestyle that makes them happy and doesn't hurt anyone. Tell officials in Aceh to respect the punks' human rights and leave them in peace!