A never-ending job

A never-ending job

In discussing human rights we cannot confine ourselves to the
universal concept only. Neither, however, can we stubbornly hold
on solely to our own perception. The protection of human rights
is guaranteed by several articles of our national Constitution.
The problem -- as is also true for many other countries,
including the one in which the 1948 declaration of human rights
was first proclaimed -- is in the implementation.

It is not without intention that our country, Indonesia, which
is based on law, endorses the protection of human rights. In the
meetings of the preparatory committee for independence in the
months of June and July 1945 our founding fathers, led by Bung
Hatta, a champion of human rights, were aware of the need for
including clauses to protect human rights in the free Indonesia
they had in mind.

In December 1993 the National Commission on Human Rights was
set up. As the commission's chairman Ali Said explained to Ayala-
Lasso recently, it was to demonstrate its independence that the
commission was not formed on the basis of any law. And in many
cases indeed the commission's views diverge from those of the
government, although one cannot speak of confrontation.

Still, many human rights violations have remained beyond the
reach of the commission and they are likely to grow in both
number and seriousness. This is what makes it all the more
necessary for us to step up our efforts to uphold human rights.

-- Kompas, Jakarta