Expert, activists seek end to state-sponsored discrimination<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Analysts and human right groups urged the government on Monday to
\nend "state-sponsored discrimination" of Chinese-Indonesians and
\nfamily members of suspected communist party members, rather than
\nwasting more time on a mostly "toothless" truth and
\nreconciliation commission.<\/p>\n
"Ending all discriminatory policies would do far more good
\nthan establishing a truth and reconciliation commission," Ikrar
\nNusa Bhakti of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) told
\nlegislators in a hearing here on Monday.<\/p>\n
Currently, the House of Representatives (DPR) is deliberating
\na bill on the establishment of a truth and reconciliation
\ncommission to deal with past human rights abuses in the country,
\nbut activists claim it has all come too late.<\/p>\n
Citing "state-sponsored discrimination" against Indonesians of
\nChinese descent and relatives of former members of the Indonesian
\nCommunist Party (PKI), Ikrar said putting an end to government
\nracism and political biases would promote reconciliation without
\nthe need to establish a special commission.<\/p>\n
Chinese-Indonesians, for instance, are still required to
\nobtain a special letter issued, ironically, by the Ministry of
\nJustice and Human Rights, which specifically states their
\nethnicity, along with dozens of other government policies that
\nare designed to discriminate against them. As such they are
\nbarred from most government institutions.<\/p>\n
Children and relatives of former PKI members have their IDs
\nmarked, making it almost impossible for them to obtain a job with
\ngovernment institutions as civil servants. The PKI was blamed by
\nthen Maj. Gen. Soeharto and his military colleagues for a coup
\nd'etat attempt in 1965, and that incident led to the ascension of
\nSoeharto as president, as well as hundreds of thousands of brutal
\ndeaths of suspected PKI supporters throughout the country.<\/p>\n
Munarman, director of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
\n(YLBHI), said the House should have begun deliberation on the
\ntruth and reconciliation commission right after Soeharto's
\ndownfall. Current talks on the creation of such a commission had
\nlost momentum, he added.<\/p>\n
"The implication is that most articles in the bill are just
\ntechnical matters regarding the work of the truth commission,"
\nMunarman added.<\/p>\n
Fellow activist Robertus Robert criticized the bill, saying
\nthat the power given to the truth commission was too
\ninsignificant to make much of a difference.<\/p>\n
According to Robert, with such limited powers as stipulated in
\nthe bill, the truth and reconciliation commission would be as
\n"toothless" as the ad hoc inquiry committee set up by the
\nNational Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).<\/p>\n
In the proposed bill, the truth and reconciliation commission
\nis only in charge of investigating and revealing human rights
\nviolations and promoting reconciliation between the victims and
\nperpetrators.<\/p>\n
With such limited powers, the commission would never be able
\nto perform its tasks, he said.<\/p>\n
Legislator Sidharto Danusubroto meanwhile said that the bill
\non the truth and reconciliation commission was important and
\nlawmakers planned to "hear more input from society."<\/p>\n
"We plan to spend two months to hold hearings with elements in
\nsociety and government officials. If necessary, all presidential
\ncandidates must explain their opinions (on the planned
\ncommission) in hearings," Sidharto said.<\/p>\n
Some articles in the bill
\n---------------------------------------------------------------
\n- Article 4: The Commission functions to disclose the truth over<\/p>\n
gross human rights violation and to seek<\/p>\n
reconciliation.
\n- Article 6: The Commission coordinates with the court to summon<\/p>\n
victims, perpetrators, or others for clarification<\/p>\n
and get documents either from civilian, military,<\/p>\n
or private institutions.
\n- Article 26: Compensation and rehabilitation can be given (to<\/p>\n
the victims) should the request for amnesty (from<\/p>\n
the perpetrators) be approved.
\n- Article 43: The Commission works for a period of three years<\/p>\n
and may be extended for another two years.
\n----------------------------------------------------------------
\nSource: Truth and Reconciliation Commission Bill<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expert-activists-seek-end-to-state-sponsored-discrimination-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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