In dealing with community activists and criticism, corporations and unscrupulous officers often rely on a manipulative approach called Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP).
Here, corporations fight back against activists and the public through lawsuits that are often unrelated to the case at hand – the goal is to intimidate them by taking advantage of lengthy litigation processes and distracting the public from the activism.
SLAPP practices can ensnare anyone, from general public, you media, academy, to environmental fighters.
Several years ago, for example, environmental activist Budi Pego opposed mining activities PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI) in Banyuwangi, East Java because of various bad impact on the environment. However, he was instead criminalized by the company with accusations of spreading communism through the hammer and sickle symbol – although in court this charge could not be proven.
To understand more about SLAPP practices, our Editorial Chief Ika Krismantari spoke with Raynaldo Sembiring, Executive Director at Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), and Nur Hidayati, National Executive Director at an environmental non-profit organization WALHI.
They told about the origins of SLAPP practice, various strange cases that happened to activists, experiences accompanying victims, how SLAPP can ensnare the general public who use social media, to improving the legal system to protect citizens from SLAPP.
Watch the full episode on the podcast SuarAkademia – have exciting conversations on the latest issues, with academics and researchers.
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