On Sunday, 22 June, police in Bogor, near the Indonesian capital Jakarta, raided a privately rented villa in the Puncak area. The gathering was described by authorities as a “gay party”. According to the police, the raid followed reports from locals about “homosexual activities”. In total, 75 people, 74 men and one woman, were arrested.

The participants were taken to the Bogor Police Headquarters for questioning, health checks and HIV tests. The police claimed to have found evidence, including sex toys, four condoms and a sword allegedly used during a dance performance. As of now, none of those arrested have been named.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International responded to the raid. “This discriminatory raid on a privately rented villa is a blatant violation of human rights and privacy that exemplifies the hostile environment for LGBTI people in Indonesia,” said Wirya Adiwena, Deputy Director of Amnesty International Indonesia. “This gathering violated no law and posed no threat. The Indonesian authorities must end these hate-based and humiliating raids.”

The raid is part of a wider pattern of repressive measures against the LGBTI community in Indonesia. Earlier this year, nine people were arrested during a similar raid in South Jakarta on 24 May, and 56 individuals were detained during another raid on 1 February. These raids are justified using vague provisions in Indonesia’s Pornography Law, which critics say are often exploited to deliberately target LGBTI people.

According to Amnesty, Indonesian authorities must not only immediately release those arrested but also take responsibility for the human rights violations arising from such raids. The organisation is calling on the government to create a safe environment where LGBTI people can live without fear of discrimination, intimidation or arrest.