Truth commission 'must first probe' New Order abuses<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Rights advocates questioned on Sunday the time span of human
\nrights violations to be addressed through the proposed Truth and
\nReconciliation Commission (TRC), arguing that the government
\nshould give priority to abuses committed during the New Order
\nregime.<\/p>\n
While recognizing human rights violations under the Old Order
\nregime, the rights activists insisted that the commission should
\nfirst of all address human rights abuses during the 32 years of
\nthe New Order regime.<\/p>\n
\"The role of the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission
\nshould be limited to investigating human rights abuses committed
\nduring the New Order regime because they (the violations) attract
\nenormous public attention,\" Chairman of the National Commission
\non Missing Persons and Victims of Violence Ori Rahman told The
\nJakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Ori said New Order elements might have pushed the government
\nto include investigating human rights abuses by the Old Order
\nregime as part of the commission's tasks in order to delay probes
\ninto their own abuses.<\/p>\n
Another human rights activist, Mulyana W. Kusumah, concurred
\nwith Ori, but criticized the bill for ignoring cases of communal
\nfighting that have plagued several troubled provinces including
\nAceh, Irian Jaya, Central Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands where
\nthousands of people have been killed, kidnapped and abused.<\/p>\n
\"The TRC should also pay attention to the clashes in Maluku,
\nNorth Maluku, Poso in Central Sulawesi, Irian Jaya and Aceh;
\nthose conflicts have also caused hatred,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Both Ori and Mulyana welcomed the commission, saying resolving
\npast human rights violations through the commission would be more
\neffective than rulings through a court mechanism.<\/p>\n
\"The government and the House of Representatives should
\nprioritize a bill on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as
\nits presence is badly needed to resolve many problems,\" Mulyana
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The draft law of the TRC proposes that people suspected of
\nhuman rights abuses be granted a pardon if they are willing to
\nreconcile with their victims and pay them reparations.<\/p>\n
Those found guilty would also be required to confess to their
\npast wrongdoings, but at the same time have the right to
\nrehabilitate their good names.<\/p>\n
The bill, soon to be submitted to the House, also stipulates
\nthat suspects and their victims can freely choose whether they
\nwant to resolve their cases through ad hoc courts or the
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
Cases settled through the TRC cannot be brought before the ad
\nhoc courts, which the government will soon establish.<\/p>\n
However, the bill does not specify the criteria of past abuses
\nthat could be settled in ad hoc courts and those to be dealt with
\nby the commission.<\/p>\n
It says amnesty for suspects must win approval from the
\npresident, who would first consult with the commission;
\nreconciliations and compensations, meanwhile, must be drawn up in
\na written agreement between both sides.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said the planned establishment of the TRC was
\njustified by a decree issued in 2000 by the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) and the law on ad hoc courts that will try
\nnumerous human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
He also argued that the commission would be an effective
\nmeasure to swiftly find the best solution to unresolved cases,
\nwhich have imposed a burden on the government.<\/p>\n
\"We need to resolve the problems as soon as possible, so the
\ngovernment can smoothly continue its development programs without
\nbeing haunted by the shadow of past crimes,\" added Mulyana, also
\na member of the General Election Commission (KPU).<\/p>\n
Human rights campaigner Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara shares
\nMulyana's concern, saying TRCs are urgent for countries like
\nIndonesia, which is undergoing a transitional period between
\nautocratic and democratic rule.<\/p>\n
Hakim said the government would only be able to carry out the
\nnation's reform agenda once past human rights abuses had been
\ncomprehensively resolved.<\/p>\n
\"The setting up of a TRC represents a national consensus as
\nrecommended by the MPR, so its existence will be meaningful in
\nresolving human rights problems,\" he told the Post on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Romli Atmasasmita, director general for legal administrative
\naffairs at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, has said the
\nout-of-court settlements would be aimed at ending hatred and
\nhostility between aggrieved communities.<\/p>\n
Under the new bill, the TRC will be authorized to deal with
\npast abuses committed during Sukarno's era (between 1945 and
\n1966) and Soeharto's rule (between 1966 and 1998).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/truth-commission-must-first-probe-new-order-abuses-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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