Komnas HAM questions govt's commitment to human rights<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chairman Abdul
\nHakim Garuda Nusantara questioned on Wednesday the commitment of
\nthe government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to maintain
\nthe commission's existence as an institution in charge of
\nupholding human rights in the country.<\/p>\n
He said Komnas HAM had no authority to prosecute human rights
\ncases and that the Attorney General's Office, with various
\nexcuses, had ignored its recommendations in several cases.<\/p>\n
\"That is the fact. Are there any benefits (of Komnas HAM's
\nexistence)? If the answer is no, why do the government and the
\nHouse not liquidate it?\"<\/p>\n
He was referring to several recommendations on human rights
\nviolations which had been ignored by both the House and attorney
\ngeneral.<\/p>\n
\"I think it depends on the country's political and power
\nconstellation. Today, with such a low interest in human rights
\nenforcement, I think the House will put our recommendation in
\ntheir drawer or throw it in a trash bin.\"<\/p>\n
The East Timor human rights case was the only Komnas HAM
\nrecommendation that proceeded to prosecution. The results of the
\ntrial, however, received domestic and international criticism as
\nmost defendants have been acquitted.<\/p>\n
The rights body, set up on June 7, 1993, was given a broader
\nrole in 2000 to investigate possible human rights violations and
\nrecommend action to the House. Any prosecution is only possible
\nwith the approval of the House and the president.<\/p>\n
The House -- with Komnas HAM's recommendation -- has approved
\nthe establishment of an ad hoc court to try human rights abuses
\nrelated to the 1984 Tanjung Priok incident and in East Timor in
\n1999.<\/p>\n
But, the Tanjung Priok trial has yet to start despite the fact
\nthat the Attorney General's Office has already named several
\npowerful past and present members of the Indonesia Military
\n(TNI).<\/p>\n
In July 2001, the House announced there were no gross human
\nrights violations during the violence at Trisakti University in
\n1998 or during the Semanggi incidents in 1998 and 1999, in which
\nat least 20 students were killed.<\/p>\n
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid ordered an inquiry but the
\nHouse supported some military officials' defiance to not answer
\nKomnas HAM summons.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office used the House decision as an
\nexcuse to drag out following through with the prosecution.<\/p>\n
Garuda said it would soon send a letter to the House to ask
\nfor a review of its decision of the killings.<\/p>\n
\"I have no idea what we're going to do if the House rejects
\nour request,\" Garuda remarked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/komnas-ham-questions-govts-commitment-to-human-rights-1447893297",
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