A dim view of human rights conditions in Indonesia

A dim view of human rights conditions in Indonesia

1996: Tahun Kekerasan Potret Pelanggaran HAM di Indonesia
(1996: Year of Violence, A Portrait of Human Rights
Violations in Indonesia).
Edited by A. Made Tony Supriatma.
Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia
(Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation), May 1997.
XXI, 265 pp.

YOGYAKARTA (JP): This annual report, an overview of the
intensity and frequency of separate and collective violence in
Indonesia, states that human rights violations have been on an
upward trend in the past two years.

The riot in Jakarta on July 27, 1996, is singled out as a
turning point because it involved mass destruction, and gave many
members of the public a firsthand grounding in the meaning of
violence.

This publication of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation can be
considered rightfully as the product of hard work, considering
the limitations on collecting valid and accurate data.

Scant availability of information, the reticence of community
members who have fallen victim to human rights violations to
report these publicly and the level of repression from state
officials may explain why the book was published rather late in
the year.

It begins by detailing the government's success in building a
political order through reliance on a security approach and the
centralization of community groups.

The result has been extraordinary economic growth. The editor
claims the structure of the centralized political system,
introduced after the tragic events in 1965, placed the state as
the sole determiner of political reality.

The attendant argument is that it has been impossible to
effect civil and political rights in full. This work claims
repression of feelings led to eruptions of violence in 1995-1996.

The writers categorize five categories of human rights
violations attributable to "structural measures of violence by
the state".

First is conflict in the civilian community itself, which is
considered the direct result of the state's failure to create a
more open political space. But this violence increasingly served
to undermine the civilian community's movement because it
provided legitimation for more government control.

Fading

Second is the widespread violence in the name of religion. The
ideology also gave rise to the occurrence of other forms of
violence, which arose notably in Pekalongan and Purwakarta.

Although aspects of each event differed, the report groups the
series of riots in the context of a fading tolerance among
religious groups (pp. 54-91).

Third is the rise of labor movements in fighting for their
fundamental rights, such as basic humanitarian wages and the
freedom to associate.

In determining the criteria for competitiveness to attract
investment, the government has cited cheap labor as a comparative
advantage. But labor circles' acute awareness and the actual
condition of poverty have led to a series of protests and
strikes. Even white-collar workers were included in this unrest,
evident in the strike at Hongkong Bank in Jakarta (p. 128).

Fourth is the increase in land disputes in 1996, with at least
13 prominent cases. Most were characterized by conflicts between
members of the public and large companies seeking to expand their
businesses.

Fifth, violence against women and the generally gloomy lot of
women in Indonesia, reflected throughout the year. Trafficking in
women involved not only the sending of female workers to various
countries, but also the flesh trade. Moreover, the classic
pattern of sexual violence was applicable to Indonesian women.

It is ironic that these notes on human rights violations in
Indonesia in 1996 coincided with last year's signing of the
international agreement on civilian and human rights.

The struggle for human rights and democracy in Indonesia, as
presented in this book, has led to a series of counter-democracy
movements, yet the actual face and fate of the democracy struggle
remain in the grip of faceless hands. Its lot can only be
lamented, while its future remains in hiding in the clasp of
power.

It is therefore fitting that the notes on human rights
violations are complemented by a number of recommendations
concerning the five categories.

The recommendations become important as corrective input in a
more humanitarian implementation of human rights. It should be
noted that most human rights violations in Indonesia during the
year were committed by the state apparatus.

This book should rightfully serve as important input for those
in power to give greater attention to the growing dynamics and
aspirations of the community. Turning a blind eye to the various
findings will only lead to acts of violence more horrendous than
those already recorded.

-- A. Wisnuhardana

The writer is a researcher at the Humaniora Social Studies
Forum and resides in Yogyakarta.