Jakarta, Sept. 1 -- Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai stressed that the firm action ordered by President Prabowo Subianto to address protests must be carried out while upholding human rights principles.

He urged law enforcement officers to avoid excessive force in handling demonstrations.

"The firm action conveyed by the President must still follow applicable laws and international human rights standards," Pigai said in a statement here on Monday.

He also referred to the President's remarks on Sunday (August 31), which cited the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. "The state respects the right of peaceful assembly," he noted.

Pigai encouraged all parties to express their aspirations peacefully and lawfully while a...