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)