Anis Hidayah stresses that Komnas HAM’s independence cannot be interfered with

Jakarta (ANTARA) – National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chair Anis Hidayah has stressed that the commission’s independence is a prerequisite for effective oversight of the state.

“An institution tasked with overseeing the state cannot work effectively if its future, budget and membership are subject to interference and determined by the very parties it oversees,” Anis said at a public discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday.

She explained that the Paris Principles require national human rights institutions to be independent, have a broad mandate, be pluralistic and receive adequate funding.

Anis welcomed the efforts of the House of Representatives’ Commission XIII to increase Komnas HAM’s budget next year compared with this year.

“All of this stems from Komnas HAM’s independence,” she said.

Anis stressed that if this independence were eroded, what would be at stake would not only be Komnas HAM’s existence, but also Indonesia’s reputation in the eyes of the world.

She said she was somewhat relieved that wording in the proposed revision to the Human Rights Law, which had initially risked reducing Komnas HAM’s independence, had been revised through several processes, including harmonisation.

According to Anis, the Ministry of Human Rights is part of the government and is responsible for fulfilling human rights obligations, while Komnas HAM carries out an independent oversight function.

“These two functions complement one another and must not be conflated or allowed to negate each other,” she said.

Anis also called for the drafting of the Human Rights Bill to be conducted openly. At present, civil society and the public have limited access to the bill’s draft and its supporting academic paper.