Activists want old wounds healed to make nation one

JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigners agreed on Saturday that national reconciliation, at the forefront of President B.J. Habibie's agenda, will only be feasible once wounds from past traumas are healed.

The talks were marred by Central Jakarta police attempt to stop the event on the grounds that it had no permit. After an hour's negotiation the talks continued.

Marzuki Darusman of the National Commission on Human Rights, Ita Fatia Nadia of the Kalyana Mitra women's organization and Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam) said closure should be brought to any remaining grievances before the people could move on to effect reconciliation.

"The (planned establishment of the) commission for reconciliation is needed to accelerate the healing of past wounds," Marzuki said at a seminar commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Human Rights Declaration.

Hakim said the nation often preferred to bury cases of rights violations instead of confronting them directly.

"If national reconciliation is about to be started, all cases of rights violation must be settled first," Hakim said.

Ita spoke in greater detail on technical aspects of the drive for national reconciliation.

"The government must first establish a Commission of Truth before it can proceed with its proposal for the reconciliation."

"In response to... the reform movement, all past wrongdoings must be revealed and nothing should remain unsolved."

She cited the postapartheid government of South African President Nelson Mandela, which established a truth and reconciliation commission to examine the atrocities of the previous regime.

President B.J. Habibie and the rights commission announced on Sept. 4 the establishment of the reconciliation team to head off the rising threat of national disintegration and separatism.

The President appointed Minister of Justice Muladi as a liaison official between the government and the other institutions. The government will be represented by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung, Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto and Muladi.

Munir of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and Andi Arief, a former abducted activist, said reconciliation would only be possible after a democratic government from next year's general election was established. (imn)