Activists skeptical about rights tribunal<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Human rights activists expressed skepticism Tuesday on the
\nfairness of trials in cases of human rights atrocities scheduled
\nto start in February, citing the government's secrecy in
\nrecruiting ad hoc judges who were unveiled on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"The government's reasoning that the recruitment of ad hoc
\njudges should be kept secret to protect the candidates' privacy
\nis not acceptable,\" the Commission for Missing Persons and
\nVictims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Ori Rahman said in a
\npress conference on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The public needs to know about the candidates' track record,
\ncredibility and capability,\" he continued.<\/p>\n
Kontras, nevertheless, has urged government officials to
\nimmediately enact into law legislation in areas ranging from
\nwitness protection and compensation to rehabilitation and
\nrestitution to support the trials.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the government disclosed the names of 30 career and
\nnon-career judges to fill positions as first-degree judges and
\nappeal judges at tribunals to for human rights violations in East
\nTimor in 1999 and the Tandjung Priok bloodshed in 1984.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Justice Benyamin Mangkoedilaga defended the
\nappointment of 18 ad hoc judges, saying the process complied with
\nthe mechanism similar to the recruitment of ad hoc judges for the
\ncourt of commerce.<\/p>\n
\"There is no regulation obliging us to invite public
\nparticipation in the recruitment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Moreover, we're only given three months to do the recruitment
\nand controversy over the candidates would only delay the whole
\nprocess,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
Benyamin said he had invited prominent rights activists to
\nfill the positions, but they rejected.<\/p>\n
\"By law, ad hoc judges should let go of their professional
\nlife as public notary or lawyers; the only professionals allowed
\nto continue in their work are academics,\" he said, revealing why
\nthe team picked up scholars from fields of human rights research
\nand study.<\/p>\n
He added that the government would hold a one-week training
\nsession on rights issues for the head and their deputies of
\ndistrict courts in Jakarta, North Sumatra capital of Medan,
\nSurabaya, and the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, East Timor Action Network spokesman John M. Miller
\nexpressed doubts that the court will bring proper justice, since
\nMegawati has limited the case brought to court into incidents
\nwhich took place in April and September 1999, on the preparation
\nof and after the UN-sponsored referendum on independence in East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
In his statement, made available to The Jakarta Post, Miller
\nsaid that \"the multiple delays in the establishment of the court
\n-- earlier promised for December, then delayed to January 15th --
\nits limited jurisdiction, and the continued impunity with which
\nthe Indonesian military operates ... only reinforce our belief
\nthat the court will be a sham.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/activists-skeptical-about-rights-tribunal-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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