Rights body elects four new members<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights
\nannounced yesterday the four new members replacing those who have
\npassed away.<\/p>\n
Psychologist Saparinah Sadli, retired police general
\nKoesparmono Irsan, former legislator from the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nfaction Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsudin, and former secretary general of
\nthe Ministry of Justice Muhammad Salim were elected from 32
\nnominees.<\/p>\n
They will assume the posts left vacant by the late A. Hamid S.
\nAttamimi, Ig. Djoko Moeljono, former chief justice Ali Said, and
\npolice general Roekmini Koesoemo Astoeti. The four died between
\n1994 and 1996.<\/p>\n
\"These new members have been democratically elected in our
\nplenary meeting today,\" commission member Clementino Dos Reis
\nAmaral said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Only last month the commission elected former religious
\naffairs minister and respected Moslem scholar Munawir Sjadzali as
\nits new chairman, to replace Ali Said who died last June.<\/p>\n
Amaral said the four new members had been elected in two
\nrounds of voting with each of the commission members naming one
\nnominee for a vacant seat. Only commission member Asmara Nababan
\nwas absent from yesterday's meeting. The commission had 25
\nmembers when it was established by President Soeharto in 1993.<\/p>\n
Among the 32 names nominated for the vacant posts were former
\njustice Bismar Siregar, lawyer and women's activist Nursyahbani
\nKatjasungkana, legislator Krissantono, and A.M. Fatwa, a former
\nmember of the Petisi 50 group of government critics.<\/p>\n
The first round of voting on the 32 nominees reduced the
\nnumber to 21, Amaral said. In the final round, the four names
\nmentioned above won the most votes and were announced as the new
\ncommission members.<\/p>\n
Saparinah and Koesparmono both won 11 votes while Samsudin won
\n10 votes and Muhammad Salim 9 votes.<\/p>\n
Professor<\/p>\n
Saparinah, 59, is a professor of psychology at the University
\nof Indonesia's School of Psychology. She is a former assistant to
\nthe minister of women's roles, and helped found the Women's
\nStudies Program at the university.<\/p>\n
The scholar is almost invariably to be seen at seminars or
\nconferences on women in many cities.<\/p>\n
Koesparmono is formerly the National Police deputy of
\noperations. He is now a lecturer at the Police Science College
\nand rector of Bhayangkara Jaya University.<\/p>\n
Samsudin is a retired two-star army general. He is a former
\nlegislator from the ABRI faction at the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's election was the first the commission has held
\nsince it was founded in June 1993 under Presidential Decree No.
\n50\/1993. All of its original members were appointed by President
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
According to its statutes, the commission should comprise of
\n25 members who are Indonesian citizens with personal integrity,
\ncapability, knowledge, and a commitment to improving the nation's
\nhuman rights conditions.<\/p>\n
Over the years, the commission has earned praise from rights
\nactivists and others, for its investigations of human rights
\nviolations. Since establishment, the commission has been flooded
\nwith requests for investigations.<\/p>\n
Last year alone the commission received 3,321 letters, 1,816
\ncontained claims of rights violations, including land
\nappropriation and disputes, houses demolition, labor disputes and
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
The commission helped investigate, solve or clarify 867 cases
\nlast year, up from 572 cases in 1994.<\/p>\n
The commission's popularity and credibility has won the hearts
\nof the public, especially victims of oppressive acts by those in
\npower and by powerful businesses. (08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-body-elects-four-new-members-1447893297",
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