Trans activists in Indonesia have spoken out about the lack of protection they get from police in the face of threats from Islamic extremists.

Earlier this week a transgender festival in Jakarta was stopped by FPI (Front Pembela Islam, the Islamic Defenders Front), one witness reported that the Islamic extremists wielded sticks to threaten the transgender women at the event.

‘The police have not been co-operative,’ Merlyn Sofran, organizer of the transgender festival, told Jakarta Post. ‘They know that the FPI threatens us, but they make only small efforts.

Yulianus Rettoblaut, chair of Indonesian Transgender Communication Forum said the police may have been intimidated by the FPI before this week’s festival.

‘Days before the festival, an officer from Setiabudi police rang and ordered me to call off the show because the FPI was planning to attack us,’ Rettoblaut said at a press conference on Wednesday.

‘The FPI said that we had no permit for the event. In fact, we had sent letters requesting a permit to the Jakarta Police, the South Jakarta Police and the Setiabudi police precinct. But, they didn’t respond.’

Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation called on the national human rights commission, Komnas HAM to investigate and demand an explanation from the Jakarta police chief.