`RI fails to tackle prime rights issues'<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government of President Megawati Soekarnoputri has
\nrestored some political stability but failed to address human
\nrights abuses by the military and endemic corruption, Human
\nRights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday in its annual report.<\/p>\n
HRW also said human rights campaigners faced increased
\npersecution especially in the rebellious provinces of Aceh and
\nPapua.<\/p>\n
"Despite restoring some political stability to Indonesia
\nduring its year and a half in office, the administration of
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri failed to deal with several
\nmajor human rights challenges," the group said.<\/p>\n
"These included continued violations of international human
\nrights law by the country's military forces, pervasive
\ncorruption, separatist conflict in Aceh and Papua, religious
\nviolence in Maluku and Poso, and attacks on human rights
\ndefenders," it said.<\/p>\n
The government made only half-hearted attempts to hold the
\nmilitary accountable for human rights abuses in East Timor in
\n1999, the rights watchdog said.<\/p>\n
So far only one army officer and two East Timorese civilians
\nhave been sentenced to jail while 10 members of the Indonesian
\nsecurity forces were acquitted by the court over the army-backed
\nmilitia bloodshed before and after the territory broke away from
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
A civilian has also been acquitted.<\/p>\n
"Most significantly, the prosecutors failed to reveal in court
\nthe role of the military and Indonesian officials in organizing
\nand arming militia groups and in orchestrating the violence," the
\nreport said.<\/p>\n
"The prosecutors' indictments were weak. They charged
\ndefendants with failure to act, rather than organizing and
\nperpetrating atrocities."<\/p>\n
Human Rights Watch said Indonesian courts and prosecutors
\nshowed little willingness to take on major corruption cases,
\nciting the overturning of a three-year jail term for Central Bank
\ngovernor Syahril Sabirin by the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
Sabirin was accused of misusing US$80 million of state funds
\nin what was dubbed the Baligate scandal.<\/p>\n
In September parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung was
\nsentenced to three years in prison for misusing roughly $4
\nmillion in state funds but he has continued to hold his position
\nwhile appealing.<\/p>\n
Human Rights Watch said rights activists in Aceh and Papua
\nfaced increased violence and arrest.<\/p>\n
It cited the sentencing of Aceh activist Faisal Saifuddin to
\none year in prison in January on charges of "spreading hatred."
\nThe charges were previously used by the autocratic Suharto
\ngovernment against critics and activists before his resignation
\nin 1998.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia continued to be a dangerous and difficult place for
\nhuman rights defenders," it said.<\/p>\n
Violence has continued in Poso and Ambon, the scene of
\nfighting between Muslims and Christians, despite government-
\nsponsored peace pacts in December 2001 and February last year.<\/p>",
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