Human rights requires political change<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigners said that political
\nchange was needed to instill a greater respect for human rights
\nin the nation. They blamed the existing political system, which
\n'monopolized the states' use of legal violence', for many rights'
\nviolations and violence.<\/p>\n
Marzuki Darusman of the National Commission of Human Rights,
\nBambang Widjojanto of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute and
\nphilosopher Rocky Gerung agreed in a seminar yesterday that,
\ndespite some progress in recent years, the promotion of people's
\nbasic rights was very inadequate.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said a number of crisis, such as violations of labor
\nrights and violence against students, stemmed from the
\ndeteriorating political system.<\/p>\n
His opinion was seconded by Bambang and Rocky. The speakers
\nagreed that a substantial change in the country's politics was
\nneeded to develop people's respect for human rights.<\/p>\n
"The current political system doesn't permit the country to
\nrespect human rights," Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
"I don't mean that the situation is hopeless, because I still
\nbelieve that the general elections held every five years
\nrepresent real opportunities to bring about political change."<\/p>\n
He pointed out that, according to the criminal code, the
\nsuggestion of political change did not constitute a crime so long
\nas the notion did not refer to the head of state. In fact, the
\ncode could allow people to demand that the government improve the
\npolitical system.<\/p>\n
Marzuki explained that many new problems, such as the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) leadership crisis and the
\nconflict among judges of the Supreme Court, were caused by the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
"It's actually easy for the government to be popular among its
\npeople. Just follow the people's demands on cases such as the
\nPDI," he said.<\/p>\n
Rocky said that the people no longer had "civil and political
\nrights". The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the
\nNational Committee of Human Rights had failed to fight for
\njustice.<\/p>\n
Rocky warned that when people were unable to channel their
\naspirations through the House of Representatives, they might be
\ntempted to take their grievances to the streets.<\/p>\n
He said the House, the Supreme Court and the National
\nCommittee of Human Rights were no more than instruments of the
\nstate used to maintain its power: "The state is basically built
\non the use of power...by exercising violence."<\/p>\n
Also at the seminar was a student from the Indonesian Moslem
\nUniversity in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, who was involved in a
\nclash with security personnel when thousands of students held
\nprotests against a transportation fare rise in April this year.
\n(16)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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