Dilemma over Buyung divides rights activists
Dilemma over Buyung divides rights activists
JAKARTA (JP): The saga surrounding calls for the dismissal of
Adnan Buyung Nasution from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
(YLBHI) escalated on Wednesday threatening to cause rifts between
fellow human rights advocates.
The deputy chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human
Rights Association (PBHI), Rachland Nashidik, said in a statement
executives of the foundation who were adamant that Nasution be
sacked from the board of trustees should themselves leave so as
not to prolong the dispute.
The statement specifically identified Bambang Widjojanto,
Munir and Teten Masduki as three executives who should leave
rather than cause further discord.
"These three figures are reputable in the human rights field.
Their experience, skills and knowledge are enough to establish
their own institutions," Rachland said.
The controversy concerns Nasution's decision to head a defense
team for top military officials allegedly connected to the post-
ballot violence in East Timor.
A government inquiry team, whose members include foundation
members and associates, has pointed to the involvement of these
military officers.
Foundation executives and regional branches then called on the
board of trustees to sack Nasution whom they considered to have
violated the core principles of the foundation which he himself
helped establish in 1971.
During a late night meeting with Nasution on Monday the board
softened their demand and merely asked the lawyer to resign from
the defense team.
A senior member of the board of trustees, Todung Mulya Lubis,
said the board had decided to let Nasution remain in the
foundation.
"As a result of the meeting, after hearing from Buyung, we
only ask him to drop his decision to represent the military
generals," Todung said.
Todung contended Nasution had strong historical ties with the
foundation and the organization's statute also did not allow such
a dismissal.
"It's like a missing brother, we can only warn him but we
can't fire him unless he wants to resign," he said, adding that
Nasution remained steadfast in his decision to head the generals'
defense team.
But foundation executives slammed the board's decision as pure
romanticism.
"It's caused by an historical consideration between them (the
board of trustees). Without Nasution, this foundation would not
be like this, it's similar to the New Order without (former
president) Soeharto," Munir remarked.
Separately, PBHI chairman Hendardi commented that what was
happening at the foundation exhibited "the patron and client
relationship" between the foundation and Nasution.
He urged foundation executives to see the situation more
clearly, and distinguish between Nasution as the rights activist
and as the lawyer.
"As a lawyer, Nasution can't reject a client and as a rights
defender, he should be independent. So when he decides to
represent the generals, regard him as a lawyer," said Hendardi,
who is also a former executive of the foundation. (emf)