President asked to state govt human rights agenda<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims
\nof Violence (Kontras) has called on newly elected President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid to explain his government's human rights
\nagenda.<\/p>\n
Kontras deputy coordinator Ori Rahman said many human rights
\nabuses committed by the New Order government should be resolved
\nby the new administration.<\/p>\n
The present government \"cannot run from its political
\nresponsibility\" with regard to human rights abuses committed by
\nthe previous administration, Ori told a media conference.<\/p>\n
\"A delay or failure in resolving past cases of human rights
\nabuses will create new legal uncertainty,\" said Ori, whose
\norganization has been active in representing relatives of missing
\npeople and victims of human rights abuses in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"At the end of the day, it is the victims who will suffer if
\nthese cases are not resolved,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The election of Abdurrahman, or Gus Dur as he is better known,
\nand his vice president Megawati Soekarnoputri last week raised
\nhopes for a better human rights record in Indonesia since both
\nhave been at the forefront in fighting for democracy.<\/p>\n
But Kontras withheld its endorsement, saying that both figures
\nhad failed to clearly express their human rights agenda.<\/p>\n
\"We've not heard any tangible measure that the government is
\ngoing to implement with regard to human rights abuses committed
\nduring the New Order government,\" Ori said.<\/p>\n
The violence in Aceh and Maluku, the shooting of Trisakti
\nUniversity students in Jakarta in May last year, the abductions
\nof student activists in the last months of the Soeharto regime,
\nand the shooting of students near the Semanggi cloverleaf in
\nJakarta in November last year and earlier this month are a few of
\nthe more recent cases of abuses. The list grows longer if one
\nincludes the abuses committed since the New Order took power in
\n1966.<\/p>\n
Early this year, before his election to the presidency,
\nAbdurrahman broached the idea of establishing a truth and
\nreconciliation commission, modeled on post-apartheid South
\nAfrica, to deal with past human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
He has not mentioned the idea since his election last week.<\/p>\n
Kontras said the new government should give priority to
\ndealing with human right abuses in the provinces to dowse
\nseparatist sentiments and ease tension in the regions. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-asked-to-state-govt-human-rights-agenda-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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