Rights abuses remain widespread: Imparsial<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A report released on Monday by a human rights watchdog said that
\nhuman rights abuses perpetrated by the state continued to be
\nwidespread over the past year, with the government still placing
\nheavy emphasis on security while denying people their civil
\nrights.<\/p>\n
Rights group Imparsial said that the governments of both
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his predecessor Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri had adopted policies and issued regulations that
\nthreatened civil liberties.<\/p>\n
The two administrations also inflicted violence on civilians
\nin the name of advancing government policy, it added.<\/p>\n
Citing examples, Impartial highlighted such cases as the
\nimposition of a state of emergency in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam,
\nthe carrying out of death sentences, the increasing power of the
\nNational Intelligence Agency (BIN), violence against human rights
\ndefenders, and military and police brutality.<\/p>\n
The group recorded that the extended emergency in Aceh, which
\nstarted in May 2003, had resulted in 428 incidences of violence
\nagainst civilians, including murder (92 cases), torture (222
\ncases), unlawful arrest (55 cases) and disappearances (59 cases).<\/p>\n
As for the death penalty, which was handed down mostly in drug
\ncases last year, Imparsial said that it was a betrayal of
\ncitizens' constitutional rights.<\/p>\n
\"The death penalty is merely a political tool as the
\ngovernment wants to look firm and strict by imposing it. But it's
\ntotally against human rights,\" Imparsial director Rachland
\nNashiddik told a year-end media conference in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The watchdog also criticized the increasing involvement of the
\nNational Intelligence Agency (BIN) in the legal field, which it
\nsaid was to blame for the increase in the incidence of repression
\nagainst civilians, especially in remote regions.<\/p>\n
Such cases included BIN's ban on two overseas nationals
\nworking with the World Bank from attending a seminar held in East
\nKotawaringin, Central Kalimantan, to discuss efforts to improve
\nthe mechanisms for settling land and other disputes at the
\nvillage level, Impartial said.<\/p>\n
Closely related to this, it said, was the Indonesian Military
\nLaw (TNI) enacted in 2004, which maintained intact the military's
\nterritorial command structure -- something that has raised public
\nconcern.<\/p>\n
Another major case featured in the report was last year's
\nmurder of Munir, a co-founder of Impartial and former director of
\nthe Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras).<\/p>\n
Imparsial said that aside from the Munir case, at least 165
\nlocal human rights activists had fallen victim to various abuses,
\nsuch as murder, detention, assault\/torture, sexual harassment,
\nthreats and intimidation.<\/p>\n
Such cases occurred not only in conflict areas but right
\nacross the country, it added.<\/p>\n
\"If the state treats human rights defenders with disdain, the
\nquestion of protecting human beings becomes a very worrying one.
\nIf such cases can happen to high profile activists, what can
\nhappen to ordinary civilians?\" asked Imparsial activist Pungky
\nIndarti.<\/p>\n
The group also highlighted many cases of violence inflicted by
\npolice on protesters in the report.<\/p>\n
Imparsial called 2004 the year of police brutality, citing as
\nexamples violence inflicted on demonstrators protesting against
\nthe Supreme Court and residents in Bogor, West Java, protesting
\nagainst the opening of the Bojong waste treatment plant.<\/p>\n
However, Rachland said it was too early to judge Susilo's
\nadministration based on these cases.<\/p>\n
\"But since he came up with the 100-day program, it's fair to
\nsay that he's no different from his predecessor. He should have
\nbeen able to institute a balance between the public's right to
\nsecurity and the public's right to liberty,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Instead, the state had positioned security above all else in
\norder to maintain its power and stranglehold over the people,
\nRachland declared.<\/p>",
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