Indonesia, 29 March 2012: Human rights defender Ms Luviana Ariyanti dismissed for trying to initiate a union

On 29 March 2012, human rights defender and journalist Ms Luviana Ariyanti was dismissed after ten years of service as Producer's Assistant at Metro TV after promoting human rights at her workplace. Luviana Ariyanti has been active in trying to initiate a union at Metro TV and in calling for TV programmes that promote and respect human rights and gender equality to be broadcasted.

Luviana Ariyanti began to work for Metro TV on 1 October 2002. The Chief Editor of the station became uneasy with Luviana’s activites when she and other journalists tried to organise their colleagues to initiate a workers' union. She also questioned discrimination practices relating to salaries and work performance. Luviana Ariyanti highlighted programme material broadcast by Metro TV that was not sensitive to issues related to gender equality and human rights, such as the faces of women arrested by police and accused of being sex workers.

Metro TV management stated that they had released Luviana Ariyanti from her duties due to her demand for managerial reform and for making “serious mistakes” in her work that caused problems amongst her colleagues. Since she was dismissed, Luviana Ariyanti has attempted to negotiate with the Metro TV management, with the support of the Alliance of Independent Journalists - Jakarta and the Alliance of Fight Against Restoration Mask (Aliansi Metro), but the management has not responded.

On 11 April 2012, the management instructed their security personnel to forbid Luviana Ariyanti from entering the office building, stating that she was no longer a legal employee. Prior to this, the human rights defender was allowed to enter the office as a normal employee each day but only to sign the attendance sheet with the escort of a security officer. It is reported that the company has registered her dismissal to the Department of Manpower to be legalised and for her to be charged for committing a crime by telling the public about her situation.

Front Line Defenders is concerned at the dismissal of Luviana Ariyanti from Metro TV and believes that this is directly related to her legitimate and peaceful human rights activities, especially her attempt to initiate a union at her workplace.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Indonesia to: