Working together to promote human rights<\/p>\n
Benny YP Siahaan, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The testimony of Suciwati, widow of human rights activist
\nMunir, before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
\n(UNCHR) at its 61st session in Geneva recently has certainly
\nsparked public attention. In Geneva, Suciwati was accompanied by
\nNGO compatriots such as Raffendi Jamin and others.<\/p>\n
I personally was also present at this session, however I did
\nnot feel as if is was something extraordinary. Nonetheless, I was
\nrather struck on reading reports of this meeting in the national
\npress. To me, it seemed that this story was blown quite out of
\nproportion and could cause the public to be misled.<\/p>\n
Although the text of the testimony seemed very sensitive, the
\nfact is that at the time it was being delivered it seemed as if
\nnobody was listening to what Suciwati was saying, not only
\nbecause her spoken English is a bit hard to understand, but also
\nbecause the environment in the session was not conducive to
\nconveying such testimony. Many participants in the room were
\nchatting or busy with each other, this being common during NGO
\nsessions. It's like a bazaar.<\/p>\n
Every year UNCHR conducts sessions that deliberate 21 agenda
\nitems, which among other things addresses human rights situations
\nin certain parts of the world. For each agenda item, NGOs get the
\nchance to deliver statements for three minutes, after which
\nmember and observer states deliver their statements. Thus it is
\ntrue, as stated by Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, that giving
\ntestimony on the Munir case in the Commission's session is not
\nsomething extraordinary (The Jakarta Post, March 28, 2005). It is
\nsad to say this, but speaker's words disappear into thin air at
\nsuch meetings.<\/p>\n
However, what was more striking was when I attended an
\ninformal side meeting organized by a coalition of Indonesian NGOs
\n(Infid) during the current UNCHR session in Geneva. At that
\nmeeting I was surprised that many of the NGO participants were
\nstill of the view that little or nothing had changed in
\nIndonesia; that the current changes at the national level were
\nmerely cosmetic.<\/p>\n
According to one estimate, of the 13,500 NGOs registered with
\nthe Ministry of Home Affairs, 90 percent of them are dependent on
\nforeign donor funding (Kompas, Jan. 13, 2003). However, this is
\nunderstandable, as it is much easier for NGOs, especially human
\nrights NGOs, to make funding proposals to foreign agencies rather
\nthan to convince Indonesian people to give them donations.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, whatever the situation is, it is time that NGOs
\nchange their approach in promoting and protecting human rights in
\nIndonesia if they really want the human rights situation here to
\nimprove. Perhaps the reason why NGOs hold such perceptions is
\nthat they think they are the only stakeholders involved in
\npromoting and protecting human rights. The question for me is,
\nare they aware that there are also other stakeholders, and that
\nthey have to work together? Or maybe they just disregard the
\nothers deliberately because they are afraid that their role and
\nrecognition will be eroded if other stakeholders, especially from
\nthe government side, start getting involved.<\/p>\n
With authoritarian Soeharto regime now gone, and with many
\npositive reforms being made, it is now the turn of NGOs to
\nreflect on progress in the protection and human rights at the
\nnational level and to work together with other national
\nstakeholders. Indeed, we should commend positive developments in
\nthis regard, such as the involvement of the Institute for Policy
\nResearch and Advocacy (ELSAM) in the preparation of the drafting
\nof the law on Truth and Reconciliation Commission last year.<\/p>\n
Looking back at the Munir case, it is clear that he was a
\nsignificant campaigner for human rights deserving of great
\nrespect. Indeed, Indonesia has lost one of its finest sons in the
\nfield of promoting and protecting human rights. But to bring to
\njustice the perpetrators of his assassination is one thing;
\nhandling his \"life\" after his death is another.<\/p>\n
His death should be used as an opportunity for all
\nstakeholders in the field of human rights to work together more
\nclosely to bring the perpetrators of human rights crimes to
\njustice.<\/p>\n
The writer works at the directorate of human rights,
\nhumanitarian and socio-cultural, Foreign Ministry, Jakarta. The
\nviews expressed are strictly personal.\" He can be reached at
\nbenny_siahaan2003@yahoo.com.<\/p>",
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