National human rights promotion drive planned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will launch a national drive to
\npromote human rights protection next year as part of the
\ncommemoration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations (UN)
\nDeclaration on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday, after
\nmeeting with President Soeharto, the program would include the
\nratification of some UN conventions on racial discrimination,
\nsocial rights and torture.<\/p>\n
\"UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent letters to all world
\nleaders, including the President, and asked them to take measures
\nto bolster progress and protection of human rights,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
The one-year-long action plan will include programs for public
\neducation and dissemination of information to students and
\ngovernment agencies which have strong ties to human rights
\nissues.<\/p>\n
\"The President has given his approval of this program and will
\nissue a presidential decree on the plan,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
The ratification of the convention on torture will likely be
\none of the most significant in the plan. Human rights activists
\nhave repeatedly urged the government to ratify the convention in
\norder to prevent possible torture by officials of some government
\nagencies and Armed Forces (ABRI) members.<\/p>\n
At the UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, in June
\n1993, China, India, Indonesia and several Middle East states
\nstrongly opposed the idea of outside interference in upholding
\nhuman rights, insisting they had the right to set their own
\npriorities.<\/p>\n
Asian governments insisted they recognized the universal
\nnature of human rights, but also said they should be considered
\nin the context of the special characteristics of each nation.<\/p>\n
The UN plans to review the 1993 Vienna declaration next year
\nand set up a program of action to seek a fuller implementation of
\nhuman rights standards and commitments.<\/p>\n
\"After five years, we need to review how far we have carried
\nout those decisions (made in Vienna),\" Alatas noted.<\/p>\n
When asked about the most important event in foreign diplomacy
\nthis year, Alatas said that international criticism of East Timor
\nhad dropped compared to last year.<\/p>\n
\"I think Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN)
\naffairs are among the most important events of this year, due to
\nthe enlargement of its membership, which triggered some
\ncontroversy at the time,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
Laos and Myanmar officially joined ASEAN in July. The
\nmembership of Cambodia was postponed following the ousting of
\nCambodian First Prime Minister Ranariddh in June.<\/p>\n
Some Western nations, including the United States, accused
\nCambodia of rights violations. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-human-rights-promotion-drive-planned-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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