Baiq Nuril: The Indonesian woman jailed for

sharing boss's 'harassment' calls

• Published 11 July 2019

IMAGE SOURCE, OKI BUDHI/BBC NEWS INDONESIA

It's a case that's sparked public anger in Indonesia, even becoming an issue during the recent presidential
election.

Baiq Nuril Maknun, the 41-year-old bookkeeper and mother of three, was allegedly receiving
sexually-suggestive phone calls from the head teacher in the school where she worked. So
she began recording his calls. Her lawyer said she did so for her own protection, but
Indonesia's top court ruled that the sharing of the recordings, which subsequently went viral
on social media, amounted to the distribution of indecent material, violating Indonesia's Law
on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE). Ms Nuril says the recordings were
distributed by a third party. The Supreme Court turned down an appeal to challenge Ms
Nuril's conviction last week. She currently faces six months in prison and has been ordered to
pay a fine of 500 million rupiah (£28,200; $35,200).

'Highly optimistic'
In an interview with BBC News Indonesia, Ms Nuril says she remains "highly optimistic"
because of the widespread support she has received, including from government officials and
human rights defenders. She now pins her hopes on Indonesian President Joko Widodo
granting her amnesty, something which is in his power but is rare. It's a controversial case
that activists say highlights the country's weak protection for women and puts the legal
system handling of sexual harassment cases under scrutiny.
The emotional toll the case is having on Ms Nuril and her family is clear. Her eyes fill with
tears while answering our questions. "I didn't know what to say to my youngest child, because
they couldn't visit me at first," she recalls about being detained at the police station in 2017.
She says her kids initially believed she was going for "driving lessons" when she was arrested
by police. "I covered the uniform I was made to wear with a big veil, but my children could
still see it and would ask me 'Mum, why do you look like one of those criminals on television?'"
Ms Nuril says it breaks her heart to show her children that she is "struggling to survive".

IMAGE SOURCE, SILVANO HAJID/BBC NEWS INDONESIA

Ms Nuril with Indonesian politician Rieke Diah Pitaloka and Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly, Minister of Law and
Human Rights of Indonesia.

It’s the huge outpouring of support from the wider community, including from her three
children, is what's given her the strength to continue fighting she says. The Supreme Court
ruling has received widespread criticism. A letter signed by nine groups including the
Bangkok-based Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development and Jakarta-based
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, said the ruling would only "perpetuate the culture of victim-
blaming". But Supreme Court spokesman Abdullah told AFP news agency, "Her judicial review
was rejected because her crime has been legally and convincingly proven."

What's next?
It's now a waiting game to for Ms Nuril. The government this week summoned legal experts
to discuss the case and have presented back a letter of recommendation for clemency to Mr
Widodo. There are also talks underway about reforming the ITE Law. "I don't think about the
worst case scenario," she says. "If there's no amnesty, I don't know what I will do." "I had
thought about ending my life. But then I thought who else will help my children achieve their
dreams."
IMAGE SOURCE, ANTARAFOTO
Many women have come out in solidarity with Baiq Nuril.

Encouraging other women to not be silent and to speak out about harassment is a key
motivation for Ms Nuril. One-third of Indonesian women have faced physical or sexual
violence, according to a government survey released in 2017 and Indonesia's #MeToo
movement was slow to gain traction. An anti-sexual violence bill has been stuck in Parliament
as it's received vocal opposition from Islamic conservatives. The draft law defines forms of
sexual violence that are not covered under existing legislation, such as sexual harassment,
sexual exploitation and forced prostitution. It is designed to make the justice system more
supportive of women reporting such crimes. But conservative critics say that the draft law
implies that any consensual sexual activity outside of marriage is acceptable. They are
particularly concerned on the implications that this might have when it comes to homosexual
relationships.

Bringing perpetrators to justice

Without stronger laws in place, human rights activists are concerned that there could be more
cases like Ms Nuril's, in which alleged perpetrators aren't brought to justice. "It's not fair as
the person who verbally harassed me isn't being punished when he should be," she says.
Despite the tears, she is still defiant. "You must be brave and report, don't be afraid to tell the
truth," she calls on other women. "There are so many principled people out there, you must
fight for your rights too."

Reporting by Silvano Hajid, Oki Budh and Lara Owen

(Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-48935981)
I. Pre-reading Activity
1. Look at the picture and share your response to it with the class!
a. What do you think the picture is about?
b. What kind of behaviours do you think that can be considered as sexual harassment?
c. In your opinion, who are more prone to sexual harassment?

2. Look at the snippet of the article that you are going to read in class!
a. Have you ever heard about Baiq Nuril’s case?
b. What do you think the case is about?

3. Looking at the title of the text, guess what information you might find in the article!

II. Reading Activity

Reading Comprehension
1. Read the article carefully and highlight any important information you have found!
2. Did you find any of the information listed below?
a. The background information of Baiq Nuril’s case.
b. The impact of the case on Nuril’s mental health and family.
c. Reasons that strengthen Nuril’s will to fight for her case.
d. The statistic of women in Indonesia experiencing physical or sexual violence.
e. Implications that may arise from Nuril’s case.

3. Fill the blank spaces with the correct information based on the text!
a. Case title : ___________________________________________________
b. Perpetrator : ___________________________________________________
c. Victim : ___________________________________________________
d. Chronology : List based on its chronological order!
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
: ___________________________________________________
e. Problem : ___________________________________________________
f. Solution : ___________________________________________________

4. In your own words, explain briefly the content of the article!

5. Answer the following questions based on the article you have read!
a. What type of sexual harassment that Nuril had experienced? Explain briefly!
b. In your own words, explain briefly the chronological order of the harassment
experienced by Nuril!
c. Why did the court turn down Nuril’s appeal and fine her 500 million rupiah?
d. What did Nuril and her legal team do to be free from the sentence?
 e. How does the case affect Nuril personally?

6. Discuss the questions below with your group members!

a. “Baiq Nuril Maknun, the 41-year-old bookkeeper and mother of three, was allegedly
receiving sexually-suggestive phone calls from the head teacher in the school where
she worked.” (paragraph 1)
- What does the statement above imply?
- What do you think of the statement above?

b. Baiq Nuril was declared guilty of distributing indecent material, violating Indonesia's
Law on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE).
- What do you think about Nuril’s sentence? Do you think that she is guilty of
violating the law? Explain your answer!
- If you were Baiq Nuril, what would you do about the sentence?

c. The anti-sexual violence bill has been stuck in Parliament as it's received vocal
opposition from Islamic conservatives who argue that that the draft law implies that
any consensual sexual activity outside of marriage is acceptable. They also argue that
they are concerned about the implications of the draft law on homosexual
relationships.
- What is your take (opinion) on the issue?
- Do you think the anti-sexual bill should be accepted and implemented in
Indonesia? Explain your answer!

III. Post-reading Activity

1. Sexual violence and/or harassment against women is prevalent in our society, even in
develop countries such as the USA. In your opinion, why does such issue keep on
happening in our society?
2. Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1JrhUFbTYM and answer the
questions!
a. Why do many victims of sexual violence and/or harassment seem reluctant to report
their case to the police?
b. How does our government or those in power respond to the issue of sexual
harassment in educational institution?
c. Why does it so hard for our government to eradicate sexual violence and harassment
in our society? What factors contribute to these issue?