Govt postpones meeting with rights commission<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government postponed yesterday a routine
\nmeeting with the National Commission on Human Rights, whose
\nmembers had planned to again raise questions about the fate of 23
\nmissing people in the bloody riots on July 27 last year.<\/p>\n
The commission's deputy chairman, Marzuki Darusman, said the
\norganization received on Tuesday a letter from the office of
\nCoordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo
\nSoedarman, which stated that the bimonthly meeting would be
\npostponed until an unspecified time in the future.<\/p>\n
Marzuki denied speculation that the cancellation had to do
\nwith a barrage of strong criticism that local rights activists
\nleveled against the government following Soesilo's statement last
\nmonth that controversy over the riots was inappropriate and
\nshould be stopped.<\/p>\n
"There is no specific reason behind the government's decision
\nto delay the meeting," Marzuki told The Jakarta Post. "It (the
\npostponement) is not strange because it has happened in the
\npast."<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the rights commission was indeed planning to
\nagain question the government about its promise last year to
\nfollow up the commission's investigation on the July 27 riots.<\/p>\n
Unheeded<\/p>\n
Separately, two commission members commented yesterday about
\nthe commission's secretary-general Baharuddin Lopa's recent
\nchallenge that the government might dissolve the body if its
\nrecommendations on rights violation cases were left unheeded.<\/p>\n
Muladi and Satjipto Rahardjo, both law professors of
\nDiponegoro University in Semarang, said Lopa was airing his
\npersonal views and was not talking on behalf of the commission.<\/p>\n
"Pak Lopa's statement had nothing to do with the commission.
\nIt was his personal view," Muladi was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Satjipto said Lopa's statement was subjective in nature. He
\nadded that it was not true that the government always refused to
\nheed the commission's recommendations.<\/p>\n
Speaking last week at a seminar at Satya Wacana Christian
\nUniversity in Salatiga, Central Java, Lopa said he was willing to
\nface dismissal from the commission if the government was
\ndisappointed with the commission's reports.<\/p>\n
"I reiterate that the commission cannot be dictated,
\ncontrolled nor ordered by the government. The commission remains
\nindependent and will remain so for as long as I am still in the
\ncommission," Lopa said.<\/p>\n
He also warned all parties against attempts to influence the
\ncommission's work, namely drawing up recommendations on courses
\nof action to be taken over allegations of human rights
\nviolations. The recommendations were usually submitted to the
\ngovernment and other institutions.<\/p>\n
The commission, established by a presidential decree in 1993,
\nshot to prominence and won even greater public admiration after
\nits independent report and recommendation over the July 27 riots.
\nThe commission said five people, rather than four as the
\ngovernment claimed, were killed in the riots, while 23 others
\nwere still missing.<\/p>\n
Muladi pointed out yesterday that Indonesia's human rights
\nrecord was fairly good.<\/p>\n
The government, in fact, has the political will to include a
\nstipulation on human rights in the next Broad Guidelines of State
\nPolicies, he said.<\/p>\n
"This is extraordinary progress compared to previous periods,"
\nMuladi said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged, however, that it was difficult to meet high
\npublic expectations over the performance of the commission.<\/p>\n
"The commission encounters difficulties in fulfilling this
\nhope because it is neither a super or structured body," he said.<\/p>\n
Defamation<\/p>\n
In a related development, commission members received
\nyesterday about 20 lawyers of Rachmad Buchori alias Buyung R.B.
\nwho is being tried at South Jakarta District Court for allegedly
\ndefaming President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The lawyers charged that there had been violations of legal
\nprocedures during their client's trial.<\/p>\n
Led by Johnson Panjaitan, the lawyers called on the commission
\nto "show concern" over the alleged violations.<\/p>\n
Buyung is the personal secretary of former politician Soebadio
\nSastrosatomo who wrote the banned book, Era Baru Pemimpin Baru:
\nBadio Menolak Rekayasa Rejim Orde Baru (New Era, New leader:
\nBadio Rejects the New Order Regime's Engineering).<\/p>\n
Buyung was initially arrested for printing leaflets whose
\ncontent allegedly defamed Soeharto and the Armed Forces. However,
\nhe is now being tried for printing the banned book.<\/p>\n
Soebadio himself has never been charged. (imn\/aan\/05)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-postpones-meeting-with-rights-commission-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }