Activists want old wounds healed to make nation one

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)