Speakers debate respect for rights, political reforms<\/p>\n
DEPOK, West Java: Human rights campaigner Marzuki Darusman
\nsaid yesterday that increased respect for human rights requires
\npolitical reform.<\/p>\n
\"The question of protecting human rights is also a question of
\npolitical reform,\" said Marzuki, a former legislator and a
\nleading member of the National Commission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a discussion held by the University of Indonesia's
\nSchool of Letters, Marzuki evaluated the stages and various
\nobstacles the campaign for human rights faces.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the biggest problem is a \"poor political life\"
\ndominated by a political elite.<\/p>\n
\"A skewed political atmosphere and any domination by
\npolitical, economic or social powers is very susceptible to human
\nrights violations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Reform is needed to correct the situation, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Protecting human rights can succeed if there is political
\nreform; if the House of Representatives, the People's
\nConsultative Assembly, and even public opinion function well,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Political reform does not mean \"political system replacement\",
\nhe pointed out. The current political system, based on the state-
\nideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, should be
\nmaintained, he said.<\/p>\n
\"This stance must be universal for us to have productive
\ntalks, especially with the Armed Forces,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He described political reform as a process to improve the
\nfunction of all institutions, and to correct shortcomings like
\nthe power structure.<\/p>\n
\"We should prevent the domination of any condition, belief,
\nindividual or group over the other members of society,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Obstacles<\/p>\n
Marzuki identified three other obstacles to \"a common standard
\nof achievement\" for protecting human rights.<\/p>\n
The first is the continuous, but futile, debates about
\n\"universal versus local\" concepts of human rights, he said.<\/p>\n
Problems emerge when the state apparatus cannot agree on
\nwhether to uphold the universal or the Indonesian concept of
\nhuman rights, he said.<\/p>\n
Another problem is that international scrutiny of Indonesia's
\nhuman rights campaign often fails to consider the social,
\ncultural and political situation, he said.<\/p>\n
The final obstacle is \"basic ignorance about human rights, by
\nboth individuals and society.\"<\/p>\n
Marzuki said the establishment of the commission in 1993
\nproves reform is taking place.<\/p>\n
The discussion also featured social observer Ariel Heryanto
\nfrom the Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central
\nJava, and philosopher F.X. Mudji Sutrisno.<\/p>\n
Ariel disagreed with Marzuki and said that although the
\ncommission is considered \"more independent\" than other
\ngovernment-sponsored bodies, its activists \"cannot do more than
\ntalk\".<\/p>\n
\"More independent to do what? To speak, of course. Nothing
\nmore than that. Nothing more than what other activists who have
\nnot been appointed by the head of state have done,\" Ariel said.<\/p>\n
Ariel said the commission members \"have given the maximum
\ncontribution they can give within the existing limitations.\"<\/p>\n
\"The commission can only bring about real changes in society
\nif there are other institutions with the authority and passion to
\ntranslate the commission's contribution into more binding, formal
\npolicies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ariel, who is known for his critical writing, said yesterday
\nthat \"the main violator of human rights in the history of
\nhumankind has been the social institution called the State.\"
\n(swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/speakers-debate-respect-for-rights-political-reforms-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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