The name Jopi Peranginangin may sound unfamiliar to you. He is our dear friend. We have known him since 1999 when he arrived in Jakarta for the very first time from Palu City, North Sulawesi. He came from far away to help us in the movement of students who were willing to see changes in Indonesia and bring about the fall of the Soeharto regime.

And just like any dear friend that you have, his presence is irreplaceable. He never failed to bring happiness, and melt any situation with his jokes. He was a brilliant friend with a deep empathy for many things including democracy, indigenous peoples rights, and contemporary music.

On the morning of Saturday 23 May 2015, in South Jakarta, following a night out to see Navicula, a band who supports the work of Sawit Watch, Jopi was stabbed to death with a bayonette knife through his lungs. He was not stabbed because he created any trouble or started any fight. He was murdered when he went to the assistance of a friend who had been approached by a person claiming to be an Indonesia Soldier who then killed him.

Just imagine, in a safe place like Jakarta, and by the hands of someone claiming to be a protector of the State, our friend Jopi was brutally murdered. 

Imagine a similar thing happening to your friend. Imagine your own feelings of sadness.

We are Jopi’s friends, and in the name of Solidarity for Jopi, we are asking you to sign this petition.

Let us together demand that the murderer(s) are arrested, their employment is terminated, and they are imprisoned. Let us also demand that the CCTV recordings are made public to identify these killers. We also demand the protection of all the witnesses in this case so they can feel safe enough to give their testimony.

Firdaus dan #Solidaritas4Jopi