'No intervention in commission on human rights'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono yesterday
\ngave his words that the government will always honor the
\nindependence of the National Commission on Human Rights although
\nit controls its budget.<\/p>\n
During a hearing with the House of Representatives, Moerdiono
\nsaid the government has not, and will never, interfere in the
\nworks of the human rights commission although the two have had
\ntheir share of disagreements.<\/p>\n
The issue was raised by during a hearing between Moerdiono and
\nthe House's Commission II which deals with domestic politics to
\nreview the spending plans of the State Secretariat.<\/p>\n
Legislators Oka Mahendra and Hutagaol, both of the ruling
\nGolkar faction, questioned Moerdiono about the independence of
\nthe human rights commission given that its budget is allocated
\neach year by the State Secretariat.<\/p>\n
The commission was set up by a presidential decree in 1993 and
\nits 25 members were all appointed by President Soeharto. It began
\nits work in January last year amidst skepticism about its
\nindependence but slowly it proved its critics wrong and had shown
\nintegrity and independence when it often criticized the
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
The State Secretariat has earmarked Rp 1.3 billion ($600,000)
\nout of its total budget for the 1995-1996 fiscal year for the
\nhuman rights commission.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said that despite differences with the rights
\ncommission, the government will never dream of putting undue
\npressure.<\/p>\n
\"I've had my share of disagreements with Baharuddin Lopa,\" he
\nsaid referring to the commission's secretary general. \"But I
\nnever tried to interfere in his work, or even make comments about
\nhis work in public. I never even placed a phone call to him or
\nany of the other members about their work.\"<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said he had at times called, and even scolded,
\nBaharuddin in the latter's capacity as director general of
\ncorrectional institutions.<\/p>\n
The legislators yesterday also pressed Moerdiono for an
\nexplanation about the 110 percent increase in the budget for his
\noffice, from Rp 54.2 billion in 1994-1995 to Rp 113.9 billion.
\nThe increase is well in excess of the 11 increase in the overall
\ngovernment budget for the fiscal year which begins on April 1.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono explained that the huge increase was largely caused
\nby the rising contribution by the State Secretariat towards the
\nvarious agencies which it supervises, at least financially.<\/p>\n
They include the National Commission on Human Rights, the
\nAgency for the Pancasila Propagation (BP7), the executive board
\nof the Non-Aligned Movement which Indonesia chairs, the
\nIndonesian Red Cross and the Indonesian Science Academy.<\/p>\n
The State Secretariat also has to allocate a budget for two
\nmajor projects this year: the working group to study the ways of
\nrelieving the debt problems of developing countries which
\nIndonesia is now pursuing, and the celebration of Indonesia's
\n50th independence anniversary this year.(rms\/29)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-intervention-in-commission-on-human-rights-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}