Activist calls for respect of human rights<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leading human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis
\ncalled on the government last night to make a sincere effort to
\nrespect human rights.<\/p>\n
The bureaucracy should never polish its human rights records
\nand make them a tool of public relations, said the chief of the
\nFoundation of the Center for Human Rights Studies.<\/p>\n
\"Nor should it whitewash its record to please its donors,\" he
\nsaid after presenting this year's Yap Thiam Hien Award to the
\ntobacco farmers of East Java and rights activist Ade Rostina
\nSitompul.<\/p>\n
Working through Yayasan Hidup Baru (New Life Foundation), Ade,
\n59, is active in rehabilitating former convicts, mostly political
\nprisoners. She also works with the Communion of Indonesian
\nChurches.<\/p>\n
The farmers from the East Java district of Jenggawah were
\nawarded for their ongoing struggle to get back the land they have
\nbeen tilling for decades and which they believe is their rightful
\nproperty. The disputed land is controlled by the state-owned
\nplantation company.<\/p>\n
Mulya Lubis argued that although Indonesia has been
\nindependent for 50 years, the observation of human rights is
\ngenerally just lip service.<\/p>\n
\"The fate of more than 185 million Indonesians will be tragic
\nif they believe in such 'lip service human rights policy',\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We owe our offspring a good example of respecting basic
\nrights,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Mulya Lubis, also a well-known lawyer, stressed that as far as
\nhuman rights are concerned, Indonesia should act indiscriminately
\nin both civilian and military cases.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the military's reported involvement in several
\ncases of rights violations brought to the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights, including the murder of Marsinah, the Liquisa
\nkilling in East Timor, and the shooting of civilians in Timika,
\nIrian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"Attempts to justify a human rights violation by saying that
\nthey just followed their superior's orders is no longer
\nacceptable,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He predicted that violations of human rights will continue in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"In the future, we may see rights violations bigger than the
\nLiquisa and Timika cases. They may be provoked by labor strikes,
\nforced land appropriation, and denial of freedom of speech,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The award, named after the late Indonesian human rights
\nlawyer, was first conferred in 1992. Previous recipients were
\nH.J.C. Princen, Johny Simanjuntak, Muhidin, murdered labor
\nactivist Marsinah, and lawyer Trimoelja D. Soerjadi.<\/p>\n
Winners of this year's award were decided by a panel of
\njudges, which consisted of Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid;
\npolitical observer Deliar Noor, social observer Aswab Mahasin,
\nsocial activist Y.B. Mangun Wijaya and prominent lawyers Adnan
\nBuyung Nasution, Amartiwi Saleh and Nursyahbani Katjasungkana.<\/p>\n
Last night's ceremony was attended by numerous scholars, human
\nrights activists and political observers, including Chairman of
\nthe Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem Organization Abdurrahman Wahid, S.K.
\nTrimurti, Adnan Buyung Nasution, Ali Sadikin, and philosopher
\nFrans Magnis Suseno. Trimoelja and Princen were also present.
\n(imn)<\/p>\n
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