A 42-year-old transgender woman in Indonesia was burned alive by a mob of five people who accused her of theft, in a horrifying murder.
The victim, named Mira, was accused of stealing a phone and wallet from a truck driver who had parked near her house in Cilincing, in North Jakarta, on April 4.
The group of five thugs later found Mira and surrounded her, accusing the woman of theft and beating her.
Mira insisted her innocence and after the group couldn’t find the possessions on her, they reportedly doused her in petrol.
A friend of Mira’s who claims to have witnessed the attack, named Orin, told the Jakarta Post the gang members work as informal security guards in the area.
Orin alleged one of the men, after assaulting Mira and splashing her with the petrol, held up a match.
She claims the man asked her, “Will you confess? If not, I will burn you.”
Then another member of the group dropped a lighter on Mira, setting the woman on fire.
Mira fled the group while still alight and caught the attention of other locals, who rushed her to hospital. However the next day, Mira died due to her injuries.
Indonesia police are still hunting for perpetrators
Neighbours paid for Mira’s medical bills and the costs of her burial.
Investigators confirmed the case to Indonesian media, but did not provide details.
“We are still searching for the perpetrators. Please pray for us so we can find them,” one investigator told the Jakarta Post.
Amnesty International Indonesia’s director Usman Ham said two of the alleged perpetrators are in custody. However, Ham said three others are still on the run.
Ham said the “despicable murder” must be urgently investigated and Mira’s killers brought to justice.
“The authorities must also take this appalling murder as a wake-up call and repeal its laws that criminalise specific gender identities,” Ham said.
“Without prompt action to cast light on this horrifying crime and bring perpetrators to justice, transgender people in Indonesia will feel even further neglected and vilified by their government.”
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