144 thousand people died2 and among them were two thousands health workers.3 The infection rate increased significantly in mid-2021 where the country experienced the second wave of infection and became the country with highest recorded infection rate at the time.4 7. In addition to the health issues, the COVID-19 pandemic also has an impact on many other aspects. Some of them are the increasing number of unemployment, poverty rate and the number of students dropping out of school. In Indonesia, the unemployment rate increased to 7.07%, the poverty rate increased to 9.7%, and 983 children dropped out of school.5 8. Since March 2020 before President Joko Widodo in mid-April 2020 announced that the COVID-19 pandemic was national disaster situation,6 Komnas HAM had set up a special task to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and provide recommendations to other relevant authorities to ensure they incorporate human rights approach in making and implementing strategic polices to address the pandemic crisis.7 9. Komnas HAM appreciates the serious efforts and important measures taken by the Indonesian government to tackle the pandemic, such as enforcing strict restriction of people mobility in high risk areas and other health protocol in public area, aggressive vaccination program and providing financial support or essential goods subsidies for people living in poverty. However, Komnas HAM documented many concerns with regards to the respect and protection of human rights, including:8 a) Lack of priority to enhance health services, education support, transportation and communication infrastructure for people living in remote areas; 2 Indonesia’s Task Force on COVID 19 (Satuan Tugas Penangangan COVID-19), updated data on 26 December 2021, available at: https://covid19.go.id/p/berita/analisis-data-covid-19-indonesia-update-26-desember-2021. see also updated data on Indonesia from WHO, https://covid19.who.int/region/searo/country/id. 3 Lapor COVID-19 Pusat Digital Tenaga Kesehatan, https://nakes.laporcovid19.org/statistik. 4 CNBC, Indonesia reported the highest new COVID cases in the world last week, says WHO, 22 July 2021, can be accessed at https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/22/who-indonesia-reported-most-new-covid-cases-in-the-worldlast-week.html. 5 Information that Komnas HAM received in mid-2021, Komnas HAM, Peran Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia terkait dengan Dampak Pandemi COVID-19 terhadap Hak Asasi Manusia dan Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Indonesia (The Role of National Comission on Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia related to the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals in Indonesia), 8 July 2021, p. 1, available at https://www.komnasham.go.id/files/20211007-policy-brief-research-the-role$XK9J.pdf (English Version) or https://www.komnasham.go.id/files/20211007-policy-brief-penelitian-peran-$398U25B.pdf (Bahasa Version). 6 Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana/BNPB (National Board for Disaster Management), President Announced COVID-19 as National Disaster, 14 April 2020, available at https://bnpb.go.id/berita/presidentetapkan-covid19-sebagai-bencana-nasional. 7 Komnas HAM, joint press release with the Chairperson of BNPB, 21 March 2020, available at https://www.komnasham.go.id/index.php/news/2020/03/21/1337/poin-poin-utama-konferensi-pers-ketuakomnas-ham-ri-ahmad-taufan-damanik-bersama-ketua-gugus-tugas-percepatan-penanganan-covid-19-letjentni-doni-monardo-sabtu-21-maret-2020.html. 8 Komnas HAM, Press Release, Number: 24/HM.00/VII/2021, Policies in Addressing the COVID-19 Must be Exceptional and Humane, 23 July 2021, available at https://www.komnasham.go.id/files/20210723-keteranganpers-nomor-24-hm-00-$TEZ3V9.pdf. The Press Release was based on Komnas HAM (2020), “Tata Kelola Penanggulangan COVID-19 dalam Perspektif HAM” (Governance of COVID-19 Response in the Perspective of