Government to submit draft law on human rights court<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is to seek the House of
\nRepresentatives' approval for a draft law on a human rights court
\nthat would open the chance for it to bring Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) top brass to trial for alleged involvement in last year's
\nEast Timor violence.<\/p>\n
Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on
\nMonday the first reading of the draft would be presented next
\nweek.<\/p>\n
"The bill contains an article that allows for the examination
\nof human rights abuses committed in the past," Yusril said after
\na plenary session to hear House factions' responses to the
\ngovernment regulation in lieu of law on a human rights court.<\/p>\n
Yusril said the bill would not contain the controversial
\nretroactive principle in trying the human rights abusers, but
\nwould give the House the authority to decide upon whether a past
\ncase could be brought to justice.<\/p>\n
A government-sanctioned inquiry into human rights violations
\nin East Timor has implicated suspended coordinating minister for
\npolitical affairs and security Gen. Wiranto and 32 military and
\ncivilian officials for the mayhem that erupted after the
\noverwhelming rejection of Indonesia's wide-ranging autonomy offer
\nin August last year.<\/p>\n
Wiranto, who was the TNI chief when East Timor was in flames,
\nhas repeatedly denied responsibility for any atrocities, saying
\nthat he did many things to avoid clashes between East Timorese
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Asked whether Wiranto could be tried, Yusril said it was up to
\nthe Attorney General's Office, which was now examining the
\ninquiry reports.<\/p>\n
Yusril said the bill could be passed in three months.<\/p>\n
He said nothing was wrong with the investigation conducted by
\nthe Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Abuses (KPP HAM) in
\nEast Timor, even though it was based upon a government regulation
\nin a lieu of law that was unanimously rejected by the House on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
"KPP HAM is over and the investigation should be followed up
\nby the Attorney General's Office," Yusril said.<\/p>\n
All 10 House factions agreed to drop the government regulation
\nwhich was proposed by the government of former president B.J.
\nHabibie last year.<\/p>\n
"The regulation contains a basic weakness since it did not
\nallow for past human rights abusers to be brought to justice,"
\nMuhyiddin Suwondo from the National Awakening Party (PKB) said.<\/p>\n
Muhyiddin suggested that the new bill should contain a
\nretroactive principle to allow for the examination of human
\nrights abuses in East Timor, Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Legislator Soenarto from the Military faction suggested that
\nthe bill allow for ordinary people to be tried for human rights
\nabuses, instead of just state officials as has been stated in the
\nregulation.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office decided on Monday to step up its
\nprobe into East Timor debacle by forming a team to investigate
\nand question those implicated.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Soehandoyo, said
\nreports submitted by KPP HAM had been verified by the office's
\nteam and declared acceptable.<\/p>\n
"All materials submitted by KPP HAM are acceptable and we will
\nstep it up (the probe) to investigation level," Soehandoyo told
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
He said, however, that none of 33 military and civilian
\nofficials implicated in the inquiry's findings had been declared
\na suspect.<\/p>\n
"That will be done after the investigation team has been
\nformed and has done its job. Everybody will be summoned later,"
\nhe said, adding the team would consist of state prosecutors,
\npolice, military police personnel and experts.<\/p>\n
Soehandoyo gave no timeframe for the forming of the team,
\nother than to say it would be "soon," nor did he say when they
\nwere expected to complete the new probe.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is under considerable international pressure to bring
\nthose involved in the human rights abuses in East Timor last year
\nto justice. (jun\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-to-submit-draft-law-on-human-rights-court-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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