Former Circus Performers Spark New Scrutiny: Komnas HAM Traces Oriental Circus Indonesia’s Link to Military Cooperative

Jakarta, Xweb.biz.id – A decades-old link between the Indonesian Air Force and a well-known traveling circus has resurfaced, adding a surprising twist to renewed allegations of labor exploitation. The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) confirmed this week that Oriental Circus Indonesia (OCI) was once part of a business unit under the Indonesian Air Force’s Cooperative (Puskopau).

This revelation came during a meeting with Commission III of the House of Representatives, where Komnas HAM Chairperson Atnike Nova Sigiro disclosed the existence of a 1997 government decree (Skep/20/VII/1997). The document outlines the structure of the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base’s operations, listing a circus as one of the base’s commercial ventures.

“A certificate was found linking the legal entity of Puskopau to ownership of a circus,” Atnike said at the Senayan Parliament Complex on Wednesday.

However, she cautioned that the Commission needs to investigate further whether the military’s involvement in OCI continues to this day, noting that the decree dates back nearly three decades.

OCI: No Human Rights Violations Were Ever Proven

In response to the growing media spotlight, Oriental Circus Indonesia released a statement denying any wrongdoing. Imam Nasef, speaking on behalf of the circus, emphasized that Komnas HAM’s original investigation from 1997 did not conclude that human rights violations had occurred.

“This is not a new allegation,” said Imam. “It was thoroughly investigated by Komnas HAM back then. Terms like ‘torture’ and ‘slavery’ were never proven. In fact, the report never even used such language as confirmation.”

According to Imam, Komnas HAM carried out detailed monitoring, including site visits and interviews with all involved parties. The findings used terms like “indications” and “tendencies,” stopping short of calling them violations.

He also referred to a recent Komnas HAM press release from April 2025, which echoed the same language: allegations and tendencies, not legal conclusions.

The Bigger Picture

The case regained public attention after legal representatives of former circus performers spoke before lawmakers, alleging that they were subjected to abusive conditions while working with OCI, some since they were children.

Even with these new testimonies, Komnas HAM has reiterated that its official findings—based on the 1997 review—never confirmed any violations of human rights.

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