Amnesty granted if victims forgive: House<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Lawmakers have criticized a stipulation in the bill on the Truth
\nand Reconciliation Commission, which allows it to recommend the
\ngranting of a presidential pardon for human rights abusers,
\ndespite the fact that they have not been forgiven by their
\nvictims.<\/p>\n
The legislators said that human rights violators should only
\nbe pardoned by the president after they and their victims forgive
\none another.<\/p>\n
The contention on the crucial issue prompted the House of
\nRepresentatives to postpone the deliberation of the bill until
\nnext week.<\/p>\n
\"We want a clear explanation of the stipulation, otherwise it
\nmust be discarded,\" M. Akil Mochtar, deputy chairman of the House
\ncommittee deliberating the bill, said here on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said the committee members were worried that the
\nstipulation could be misused to give or maintain impunity for
\nperpetrators of human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Akil also questioned why the \"suspicious
\nstipulation\" was not set out in the articles of the bill, but
\nonly in its explanatory section.<\/p>\n
Article 28 of the bill states that the truth commission could
\nrecommend amnesty only after human rights abusers admit their
\nwrongdoings and their victims forgive them.<\/p>\n
But the article does not offer a solution to a situation where
\nthe victims refuse to forgive human rights violators.
\nUnexpectedly, the bill's explanatory section states that the
\nperpetrators can be granted amnesty in the absence of forgiveness
\nfrom their victims.<\/p>\n
The House is expected to finish deliberating the bill on Sept.
\n7.<\/p>\n
Several other bills, scheduled to be passed into law by the
\nHouse in its final sitting period, include those on regional
\nadministration, Cabinet ministry, Presidential advisory council,
\nthe 2005 state budget, revisions to the law on foundations, and
\nfree trade zone.<\/p>\n
Separately, the House committee deliberating the revision of
\nLaw No. 22\/1999 on regional administrations was rushing to
\nfinish. Its members had to stay at a hotel in Central Jakarta to
\ndiscuss the bill intensively.<\/p>\n
Committee members are optimistic that they will complete the
\nbill's deliberations before ending their five-year term at the
\nend of September.<\/p>\n
\"We continue discussing the bill. God willing, we will finish
\nthe bill as scheduled,\" said committee member Chozin Chumaidy.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the House committee deliberating the
\nbill on Cabinet ministry and the presidential advisory council
\ncould not begin deliberation because the government has not
\nappointed ministers to represent it in the discussions.<\/p>\n
During a hearing with State Minister for Communication and
\nInformation Syamsul Mu'arif, several legislators urged the
\nPresident to appoint ministers to represent the government in the
\ndeliberations of the two bills.<\/p>\n
The bills on the Cabinet ministry and the Presidential
\nadvisory council are crucial for the next President elected in
\nthe Sept. 20 runoff as a guideline in forming the Cabinet lineup.<\/p>\n
I-box<\/p>\n
Key articles in the truth and reconciliation bill
\n==============================================================
\nArticle 28:
\n- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission can issue a
\nrecommendation that the President grant amnesty to human rights
\nabusers only after they admit their wrongdoings and their victims
\nforgive them.
\n- It must be followed by exposing the truth about the abuses.
\n==============================================================
\nSource: House special committee<\/p>",
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