Indonesia
Activists of the Solidarity Network of Victims for Justice attend the 574th Kamisan, a weekly silent protest, in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Feb. 14, 2019. (The Jakarta Post/Dhoni Setiawan)
Bank Mandiri’s freezing of a protest coordinator’s account has drawn strong criticism from civil society groups, which have warned the move restricts civic freedoms and could erode public trust in the state-owned lender.The account belongs to Supriyono, coordinator of the United Pati Community Alliance (AMPB), which has organized residents from Pati, Central Java, to protest outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Aug. 27, where protesters are expected to demand the seizure of assets belonging to corruption convicts and the death penalty for corruption convicts.
The bank account contains around Rp 80.9 million (US$4,900) in personal funds and public donations intended to cover food, transportation and accommodation for protesters.
Mandiri has since apologized and attributed the freeze to a request from law enforcement authorities, but refrained from identifying the agency involved or providing details of the case or the legal basis for the request.
