Jan 23, 2024

USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom in Indonesia

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Indonesia Country Update - This report provides an update on religious freedom conditions in Indonesia during 2023. Blasphemy allegations and convictions remain persistent religious freedom violations throughout Indonesia. The new criminal code, passed at the end of 2022 and signed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in January 2023, will further criminalize blasphemy and expand on other religious freedom violations when implemented in 2026. Additionally, local government initiatives to codify discrimination against minority communities, including religious minorities, continue to gain traction throughout the country. Finally, Indonesia’s education system in some locales continues to mandate the wearing of religious clothing such as the hijab, even for non-Muslim girls.

In its 2023 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the U.S. Department of State place Indonesia on its Special Watch List (SWL) for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. In March 2023, USCIRF held an event on Rising Authoritarianism in ASEAN Member States, and in September 2023 released a report on The Bureaucratization of Religion in Southeast Asia.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].