Britain welcomes Indonesian government's new openness

JAKARTA (JP): British Ambassador Robin Christopher has welcomed the political openness introduced by the Indonesian government despite the all-encompassing economic crisis, and called for discourses on democratization and human rights.

Christopher told a media conference on Tuesday that in order to ensure the momentum for democratization was not lost, now was the right to time to discuss human rights protection in Indonesia.

"The openness in Indonesia is really a pleasing development," he said as quoted by Antara. "All friendly countries, including Britain, are watching this process carefully."

He noted the rapid changes that had taked place here since May, and expressed confidence that they would lead to permanent reform.

"For the first time in the last 30 years we have witnessed the release of political prisoners, and openness in the mass media and journalism, and freedom of expression," Christopher said.

Christopher announced at the media conference that the British Embassy and the Representation of the European Commission in Jakarta would hold a human rights workshop here on Wednesday and Thursday.

The event is being organized by the National Commission on Human Rights and is taking up as its theme Indonesia and Europe, a cooperative human rights partnership.

The workshop will be jointly chaired by Marzuki Darusman, the deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, and David Harris, director of the Human Rights Law Center at Britain's Nottingham University.

The event brings together 150 Indonesian and European experts in human rights issues. The British embassy said in its statement that this would be the first event of its kind the European Union had organized.

Experts will discuss and debate human rights in four categories: police and the judiciary; women's and children's rights; human rights education, awareness and institution building; and labor rights.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas hosted a welcome reception for the participants on Tuesday evening, and will make a keynote speech at the opening ceremony on Wednesday morning. (swe)