Topic: LGBT Rights
Country: Indonesia
Delegate Name: Elena Kelbley
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Indonesia position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
The Republic of Indonesia is aware that there is potential for progress to be made in the treatment of LGBT citizens. In Aceh, the largest province by population, and the only one that implements Sharia, homosexuality is considered illegal. As a predominantly Muslim country, it is unsurprising that this is generally accepted nationwide.
Indonesia recognizes the necessity of those members of the LGBT community who have undergone gender reassignment surgery having the ability to change their gender maker on all legal documents to the opposite binary option. In repealing a job notice that did not allow LGBT applicants, the Attorney General’s Office has demonstrated how it wishes to destigmatize this group, especially as the notice had described homosexuality as a mental illness.
The impact of the HIV crisis on has also been noted as significantly problematic to this group. Approximately 25% of both homosexual and transgender populations are reported to have the virus. After an ASEAN conference aimed at addressing the epidemic, the Republic of Indonesia vowed to “Ensure that national prevention strategies comprehensively target populations at higher risk, such as people who use drugs, sex workers, and men having sex with men, including transgender people, and that systems of data collection and analysis about these populations are strengthened;”
In this committee Indonesia hopes to be able to develop solutions to the problems of the LGBT community in the world with respect to long-established cultural and religious practices. Unfortunately, the stability of society as a whole cannot be jeopardized for a small portion of the population. Hopefully these complex issues can be resolved with international cooperation and understanding.
Sources: http://www.equaldex.com/region/indonesia https://www.kemlu.go.id/ptri-asean/Majalah/ASEAN%20DOCUMENTS%20SERIES%202011.pdf#search=transgender http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2014/october/20141027pcbindonesia
