A sound assessment

A sound assessment

Though so far no official response has been given to the
National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) annual
assessment of human rights conditions in this country, it can be
safely surmised that the document is not exactly being greeted as
a welcome New Year's present by the Indonesian government.
Indeed, if anything, the commission's verdict as released on
Wednesday delivers yet another blow to the already tattered image
of the country's security apparatus, the Indonesian Armed Forces
(ABRI) in particular.

While acknowledging that a number of positive steps have in
the past year been taken to promote human rights in Indonesia,
the commission notes that, overall, the conditions currently
prevailing in Indonesia are not conducive to the genuine
protection of human rights due to the fact that a series of
serious violations remain unresolved and, in the public's
perception, are destined to do so.

Noting that the protection of human rights is primarily the
duty of the government, the document says it is impossible to
avoid the impression that many cases of violence have involved
elements of the Armed Forces, besides those involving members of
the community engaged in brawls. "The elementary question that
arises is: Why have the security and law enforcement authorities
in the past year not been capable of resolving serious human
rights violations?" the document asks.

The basic answer, according to the statement, is that the
Armed Forces as an institution appears to be handicapped by
"internal constraints" created by a process of politicization
that has weakened its integrity and enfeebled its ability to act
as an effective force. Moreover, with the military's prestige
currently at its lowest point, the spread of violence is
difficult to prevent since the security apparatus lacks the
authority that is needed to firmly establish public adherence to
prevailing norms. Unless the existing cases of human rights
abuses are swiftly resolved through open and fair court
proceedings, frustration will grow among the public, triggering
more violence that will develop into a source of instability.

From opening observation to final recommendation, the logic
and good sense of the documented assessment is difficult to
refute. The document once again proves the commission's integrity
and relative independence despite the fact that it was
established under Soeharto by means of a presidential decree. For
the security authorities, and the Armed Forces in particular, the
pill may be difficult to swallow. ABRI and the government,
however, are well advised to accept the assessment with
magnanimity if they are to win back the trust of the people. The
widespread public skepticism about the ongoing trial of the 11
Army Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers accused of the kidnapping
of political activists, for example, shows that the commission is
not alone in its view that the trial makes a mockery of justice
and had better be aborted.

For the military in particular, winning back the public's
trust and respect is especially important given its ambition of
maintaining a role, albeit perhaps in a new form, in social and
political affairs. The only way open for it to achieve this,
though, would be by demonstrating to the public that it is
sincere in its promise to "reposition" itself. Keeping cases of
serious human rights violations buried or suspended certainly
will not help to achieve that purpose. It is a difficult decision
to make under the circumstances and one that is not without its
risks. Nevertheless, it is a step that must somehow be
undertaken. At stake is the future of the people, the country and
the nation.