Taiwan Foundation for Democracy honors Indonesian NGO

Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) The government-funded Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) announced Tuesday that the 2025 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award will be presented to the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI).

"This year's Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award is being presented to the PBHI in recognition of nearly three decades of work advancing legal aid and human rights protections, as well as the courage demonstrated by its members in continuing to expose and document human rights abuses despite harassment and intimidation," the TFD said in a statement.

Founded in 1996, the nongovernmental organization aims to promote human rights protection and access to justice in Indonesia by providing legal aid to marginalized communities and driving policy reforms through advocacy, according to the TFD.

The PBHI has played a key role in drafting and, subsequently, monitoring the enforcement of the Indonesian Legal Aid Law, and advocated extending the law's protection to vulnerable groups beyond those currently defined as "the poor," the foundation said.

At the same time, the association has long documented major human rights violations, including forced evictions, environmental destruction, and the criminalization of human rights defenders, it said.

The group's reports on the ecocide and the militarization taking place in Papua, for example, have prompted the international community to pay greater attention to the region's human rights situation, the foundation said.

These efforts come at a time of rising authoritarianism and heightened digital repression, causing the PBHI and its members to face threats, online harassment, and attacks and its official website and social media accounts to be repeatedly targeted, it said.

Despite these risks, the PBHI continues to provide legal representation for victims of arbitrary detention and advocate against further military encroachment into civilian institutions, it said.

Chaired by TFD President Liao Da-chi (廖達琪), a preliminary review committee advanced three nominees to the final review stage.

The PBHI will receive a trophy and US$100,000 at the award ceremony, organized by the TFD, on International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.