Govt seeks to boost rights body's powers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A government-sponsored draft law initiated to
\nempower the National Commission on Human Rights was submitted to
\nthe House of Representatives on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In a plenary session presided over by deputy speaker Hari
\nSabarno, Minister of Justice Muladi said the bill would extend to
\nthe organization, rights, authority and accountability of the
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
\"The commission will have the authority to resolve disputes on
\nrights violations. Its verdicts will be legally binding and can
\nonly be appealed to the Supreme Court,\" Muladi told the House.<\/p>\n
He added the powers of the committee would resemble an
\nombudsman body in Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
It is titled: \"Bill on Human Rights and the National
\nCommission on Human Rights\".<\/p>\n
Muladi is a former member of the commission, which was
\nestablished in 1993 through Presidential Decree No. 50\/1993.<\/p>\n
The draft allows that if a party fails to comply with the
\nverdict by a set deadline, its adversary could request that a
\nlocal district court declare the verdict's execution with the
\npronouncement: \"In the name of justice of Almighty God\".<\/p>\n
\"The draft law also contains the spirit and substance of
\nvarious international human rights-related conventions, be they
\nthose the country has or has not ratified,\" Muladi said.<\/p>\n
It is meant to establish an \"umbrella law\" to which all human
\nrights-related laws must refer, he added.<\/p>\n
Muladi also said the bill covered the duties and
\nresponsibilities of the government and its apparatus in order to
\npromote public and state apparatus' recognition and protection of
\nhuman rights.<\/p>\n
The rights body is widely respected for its high integrity
\ndespite the weakness of its legal authority.<\/p>\n
Many of the commission's recommendations to resolve human
\nrights disputes have been ignored by the conflicting parties, the
\ngovernment in particular.<\/p>\n
One of its landmark recommendations came in 1996 following the
\nforcible takeover of the headquarters of the then splintered
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) from the camp under Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri by government-backed supporters of Soerjadi.<\/p>\n
It held the government responsible for human rights violations
\nin the bloody clash and also endorsed the reinstatement of
\nMegawati as the party's chairwoman.<\/p>\n
The government did not follow up its recommendations.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Muladi assured there would be no repeat because
\nof the bill's guarantee of stronger rights and authority of the
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
\"The law will even endow the commission with subpoena rights,\"
\nhe said shortly after the session.<\/p>\n
In the following plenary session on Wednesday, Minister of
\nManpower Fahmi Idris submitted three draft laws on the
\nratification of three international conventions on labor.<\/p>\n
Submitted were ILO Convention No. 105 concerning abolition of
\nforced labor, ILO Convention No. 111 on discrimination in respect
\nto employment and occupation and ILO Convention No. 138 on
\nminimum age for admission to employment.<\/p>\n
\"These bills have a link to both national and global issues
\nrelated to the upholding and respect of human rights, on the
\nprotection of workers, especially child labor,\" Fahmi said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has ratified the ILO's four other core conventions.
\nThey are ILO Convention No. 87 on freedom of association and
\nprotection of the right to organize (though Presidential Decree
\nNo. 83\/1998); ILO Convention No. 98 concerning the right to
\norganize and bargain collectively (through Law No. 18\/1956); ILO
\nConvention No. 29 on forced labor (through Indische Staatblad No.
\n261\/1933) and ILO Convention No. 100 concerning equal
\nremuneration for men and women workers for work of equal time
\n(through Law No. 80\/1957). (aan)<\/p>",
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