Rights activists applaud new decree on ad hoc tribunal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights activists applauded on Sunday the
\nrenewed presidential decree on the establishment of an ad hoc
\ntribunal to try suspects of gross human rights abuses in the 1984
\nTanjung Priok and 1999 East Timor bloodshed.<\/p>\n
\"The issuance of the new decree last Friday shows a good sign
\nof the new administration on human rights,\" Asmara Nababan, the
\nsecretary general of the National Commission of Human Rights
\n(Komnas HAM), told The Jakarta Post on Sunday by phone.<\/p>\n
The new presidential Decree No. 96\/2001, clearly specifies
\neach of the crimes against humanity to be brought to court,
\nnamely human rights violations in the Tanjung Priok shooting
\nspree in September 1984 and in East Timor in April and September
\n1999.<\/p>\n
The new decree, signed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\noverrules former presidential decree no. 53\/2001, signed by then
\npresident Abdurrahman Wahid in April.<\/p>\n
The previous decree drew protests from rights activists as it
\nonly gave authority to the tribunal to try and hand down verdicts
\non rights violations that took place in East Timor after the
\nself-determination ballot on August 30, 1999.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, many rights violations in East Timor were recorded
\nbefore the ballot, especially in April, 1999, including the April
\n17 attack on proindependence leader Manuel Carrascalao's house in
\nDili, in which at least 12 people died and the April massacre of
\nrefugees at a church in Liquica.<\/p>\n
Asmara said then president Abdurrahman responded positively to
\nthe outcry by rights activists and promised to correct the
\ndecree, but he was ousted from the presidency before he could
\nsign the new decree.<\/p>\n
Separately, Ifdhal said the new decree would help state
\nprosecutors in deciding which cases to submit to the ad hoc
\ntribunal and which cases to pursue further in terms of
\ninvestigation and prosecution.<\/p>\n
Following results of an inquiry by Komnas HAM, the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office had prepared 12 dossiers on 18 suspects from
\nfour incidents of suspected human rights abuses that occurred
\nbefore and after the Aug. 30 ballot.<\/p>\n
Two postballot incidents investigated by the team were the
\nSept. 6 attack on the Dili home of Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes
\nBelo and the September massacre of refugees in a church in Suai,
\nwhich left at least 26 dead.<\/p>\n
The new decree, nevertheless, confirms the previous decree in
\nterms of the tribunal sitting and budget. The tribunal will sit
\nat the Central Jakarta District Court and its expenses will be
\ncovered by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Justice Benyamin Mangkoedilaga, who leads a
\nworking group to select judges for the ad hoc tribunal and human
\nrights court, told the Post on Sunday that they were now
\nselecting names from non-career and career judges, especially
\nthose who had been trained on human rights tribunal.<\/p>\n
They would be assigned to the ad hoc tribunal and human rights
\ncourts, which would also be established in Medan, Surabaya and
\nMakassar.<\/p>\n
He said that at least 12 judges would be assigned at each
\nrights court in Medan, Surabaya and Makassar and more judges for
\nthe court in Jakarta. (bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-activists-applaud-new-decree-on-ad-hoc-tribunal-1447893297",
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