Habibie secures rights body's help<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie secured the assistance of
\nthe National Commission on Human Rights yesterday to help ensure
\ncredibility for his reform efforts by allowing them to form a
\nspecial working group to monitor the implementation of reform
\nprograms.<\/p>\n
During a meeting, which lasted over an hour, Habibie agreed to
\na proposal from six senior commission members to set up a team to
\nassist the government in eradicating corruption, collusion and
\nnepotism.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung, who also attended the
\nmeeting, told journalists that the formation and selection of the
\nWorking Group on National Reform would be \"fully entrusted to the
\ncommission\".<\/p>\n
Commission vice chairman Marzuki Darusman said the working
\ngroup would also be regarded as part of the effort to mobilize
\nwide public participation in the reform process.<\/p>\n
The other five commission members attending the meeting at the
\nBina Graha presidential office were A.A. Baramuli, Miriam
\nBudiardjo, Baharuddin Lopa, Sumantri and Koesparmono Irsan.<\/p>\n
However, they provided scant detail on how the working group
\nwould function or who would be selected as its members.<\/p>\n
Since being elected president last month, Habibie has been
\nworking hard to secure cooperation from recognized public figures
\non his reform efforts.<\/p>\n
He initially invited a group of six notable figures, which
\nincluded opposition figures Amien Rais and Emil Salim, to form a
\nworking group to help draw up concepts for reform.<\/p>\n
Amien quickly backed out, saying he did not want to give the
\nimpression of being coopted, while Emil said last week that he
\nand the others would be distancing themselves from Habibie.<\/p>\n
Emil expressed discontent that Habibie had apparently gone
\nback on a pledge that elections would be held in the near future,
\nafter the President announced that polls would be held next year.<\/p>\n
Emil immediately urged Habibie to hold polls in December.<\/p>\n
\"His (Habibie) pledge should not be like an elastic band,
\nwhich can be stretched,\" said Emil asserted.<\/p>\n
During the meeting with Habibie yesterday, commission members
\nagain stressed to him the need to hold early elections as part of
\nthe process to speedily restore international confidence in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said Habibie again maintained that more time was
\nneeded to overcome the complex problems of preparing for the
\nelections.<\/p>\n
\"We can understand and see the need for (more) time for a good
\nand effective preparation of new political parties to participate
\nin the elections,\" Marzuki remarked.<\/p>\n
Prisoners<\/p>\n
The commission also received assurances from Habibie yesterday
\nthat more political prisoners would be released, including those
\nfrom East Timor.<\/p>\n
Habibie then directed further discussion on the issue to be
\nheld with the minister of justice.<\/p>\n
\"We will discuss more at length with the minister of justice
\nabout the number to be released and the criteria,\" Marzuki said
\nwhile explaining that the commission's definition of political
\nprisoners were those who had been detained after 1965 on
\npolitically connected charges.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Justice Muladi said the government
\nwould free at least 10 political prisoners this week.<\/p>\n
During a morning briefing with reporters, he initially said 10
\nwould be released, but later in the afternoon he claimed that 16
\nwould be freed.<\/p>\n
A formal announcement of names is expected tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Muladi said those to be released would include prisoners who
\nwere arrested on defamation and East Timor-related charges.<\/p>\n
Muladi, however, refused to identify names and quickly
\nretorted that East Timor separatist leader Jose Alexandre
\n\"Xanana\" Gusmao would not be included.<\/p>\n
The government has maintained that it would not release
\nprisoners who were involved with Communist activities, attempted
\nto alter the national ideology or were sentenced under criminal
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists after meeting with Habibie, Muladi
\nsaid the government would also cautiously study the possibility
\nof freeing members of the People's Democratic Party (PRD).<\/p>\n
\"We will study them case by case,\" Muladi noted.<\/p>\n
Since the fall of Soeharto on May 21, the government has
\nreleased four prominent political prisoners, including labor
\nleader Muchtar Pakpahan and former legislator Sri Bintang
\nPamungkas, and dropped charges against four East Timorese and
\nthree female activists.<\/p>\n
The ministry says at least 194 political prisoners are still
\nlocked up in prisons throughout the country.<\/p>\n
About 100 protesters staged a peaceful rally outside the
\nministry yesterday morning demanding the prisoners' immediate
\nrelease.<\/p>\n
Some of them were then allowed to meet Muladi who was still
\nbriefing journalists. (byg\/prb)<\/p>",
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