Rights body members visit Australia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Four members of the National Commission on Human
\nRights have gone to Canberra for a week to tell their Australian
\ncounterparts about their work and Indonesia's human rights
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Led by the commission deputy chairman Miriam Budiardjo, the
\ndelegation left Monday; although the official visit began
\nyesterday and will end July 2, according to Antara.<\/p>\n
The visit was arranged by Australia's Human Rights and Equal
\nOpportunity Commission.<\/p>\n
Marzuki Darusman, Clementino Dos Reis Amaral, Soegiri and
\nMiriam are expected to meet Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and
\nFederal Attorney General Daryl Williams.<\/p>\n
They are also expected to meet Minister of Immigration and
\nMulticultural Affairs Philip Ruddock, Commission on Aborigines
\nchief Gatjil Djekurrua, human rights campaigners -- Chris Sidoti,
\nBill Barker, Pip Dargan, Margie Cook, Robert McCorquodale -- and
\nHarold Crouch of the Australian National University.<\/p>\n
Next Tuesday, the delegation is to attend a conference,
\norganized by the Australian human rights commission, to discuss
\ninternational and domestic \"instruments of human rights,\" racial
\ndiscrimination and other issues.<\/p>\n
The conference will also discuss proposals for cooperation
\nbetween Australia's and Indonesia's rights bodies.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia John
\nMcCarthy acknowledged that the human rights record in East Timor
\nwas improving.<\/p>\n
McCarthy said this during a meeting Monday with the chairman
\nof the Indonesian rights commission's East Timor office, Alex
\nRefialy, in the provincial capital of Dili.<\/p>\n
McCarthy had been accompanied by the embassy's political
\naffairs secretary Bassin Blazey, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Rafiely said he had told his guests that human rights cases in
\nEast Timor were handled by the commission in cooperation with the
\npolice, prosecutors' office, provincial administration and Armed
\nForces.<\/p>\n
\"The commission's local office is acting only as a bridge
\nbetween the public and law enforcers,\" he said. \"We don't solve
\ncases, but forward them to the authorized agencies.\"<\/p>\n
Rafiely acknowledged that residents had complained that they
\nwere scared of reporting to the commission's office because it
\nwas near the military headquarters.<\/p>\n
\"There's not yet any directive (from the commission in
\nJakarta) to relocate the office,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He conceded that many people chose to complain, instead, to
\nthe Dili diocese's Commission for Justice and Peace. \"But the
\nrights commission has always worked with the diocese in handling
\nproblems,\" he said. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-body-members-visit-australia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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