Transmigration promotes human rights: Diplomat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's transmigration program,
\ncontrary to what its critics say, has the noble objective of
\nfulfilling the people's basic rights, a senior diplomat said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The transmigration program is aimed essentially at improving
\nthe living standards of the people, which is an inseparable part
\nof their social and economic rights, Hassan Wirajuda of the
\nMinistry of Foreign Affairs said.<\/p>\n
With the tendency toward overemphasizing civil and political
\nrights in any discussion on human rights, \"it is often forgotten
\nthat raising standards of living and being free from poverty are
\namong the most fundamental rights\", Hassan, the ministry's
\ndirector of international organizations, said during a lecture
\nabout transmigration and its human rights aspects at the Ministry
\nof Transmigration.<\/p>\n
The extent to which transmigration promotes human rights can
\nalso be seen from the fact that the majority of its participants
\nare landless farmers, he said. \"There is no worse form of
\ndeprivation for a farmer than the denial of his right to own land
\nwhich is the chief asset for his livelihood.\"<\/p>\n
The right to own land to a farmer, he added, ranks with the
\nright to life and the right against arbitrary use of power.<\/p>\n
Under the transmigration program, the government is resettling
\nhundreds of thousands of people each year from Java and Bali to
\nthe other more sparsely populated islands.<\/p>\n
Under the program, settlers receive plots of land to cultivate
\nand as a place to build a home. A more recent variation combines
\nthe program with the development of nearby plantations or
\nforestry estates by private contractors, who employ the settlers
\nand help market their produce.<\/p>\n
The transmigration program has been widely criticized by a
\nnumber of foreign non-governmental organizations as fraught with
\nhuman rights violations.<\/p>\n
One criticism is that the program is forcing people to move
\nagainst their will, while another is that the program is
\nthreatening local cultures or even the existence of indigenous
\npeople in the areas where new settlements are being opened.<\/p>\n
Hassan denied any element of force in the way the government
\nis running the transmigration program.<\/p>\n
Most criticism has come from foreign non-governmental
\norganizations known to have been promoting the interests of
\nseparatists rebels in Indonesia in their attempt to discredit the
\ngovernment of Indonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
NGOs<\/p>\n
\"Many international NGOs, such as Amnesty International and
\nSurvival International, have frequently launched open criticism
\nagainst Indonesia over the transmigration program just to win
\ninternational support for the struggle of local separatist
\ngroups,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hassan acknowledged that Indonesia should show greater
\nsensitivity to the human rights dimensions of the transmigration
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
More specifically, he said there should be greater attention
\nand sensitivity in the way transmigration program is managed in
\nareas or provinces still troubled by insurgency, such as East
\nTimor, Aceh and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
\"There should be at least a more socio-cultural approach,
\nincluding greater respect for the local cultural values.<\/p>\n
\"In these regions, mistakes would not only spark conflict and
\nviolence, but separatist groups are always ready to manipulate
\nthe mistakes to further their political interests.\"<\/p>\n
Hassan dismissed the argument there is a need for protection
\nof the rights of minorities and of the indigenous peoples, now
\noften linked with human rights discussions, as inapplicable in an
\n\"integral\" nation such as Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Such an approach runs counter to the concept of an integral
\nstate which treats all citizens as an inseparable unity. In a
\nfamilial state, there is no need to issue a separate regulation
\nthat provides guarantees for minority ethnic, religious or
\ncultural groups. What we have is a regulation on the rights of
\ncitizens, without any discrimination whatsoever.\"<\/p>\n
\"The question of protection for the rights of minorities is
\nirrelevant for Indonesia because there are more than 300 ethnic
\ngroups in Indonesia, and not a single one is in the majority,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hassan added that the debate about \"indigenous people\" does
\nnot apply in Indonesia because the state does not differentiate
\nas to whether its citizens are indigenous of not.<\/p>\n
\"To us, such a distinction carries a discriminative
\nconnotation, which runs counter to the very efforts at protecting
\nhuman rights,\" he added. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/transmigration-promotes-human-rights-diplomat-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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