President Obama's administration has placed great emphasis on its deepening relationship with Indonesia. Human Rights Watch believes Obama's trip to Bali for the East Asian Summit on November 19, 2011, is an important opportunity for him to raise human rights issues with the Indonesian government, both publicly and privately, including matters concerning freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and accountability of the military for human rights abuses.

We write to you to ask the Judiciary Commission to send representatives to monitor the trials currently before the Serang district court in western Java of 12 defendants[1] accused of various charges for their role in the attack on the Ahmadiyah community in Cikeusik village, Banten province, on February 6, 2011. These trials commenced on April 26.

We write to you regarding attacks and persecution against members of the Ahmadiyah religious community in Indonesia. We urge the European Union (EU) to both publicly and privately raise concerns about this grave situation with the Indonesian government. Specifically, we urge you to press the Indonesian government to take all necessary measures to stop the violence and discrimination against the Ahmadiyah; end the prevailing climate of impunity for perpetrators of anti-Ahmadiyah violence; and revoke immediately all national, provincial, and city-level decrees that violate the Ahmadiyah’s right to freedom of religion.