DPD urges preventive measures to curb human rights violations

Semarang (ANTARA) - The Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) is pushing for massive anticipatory measures to prevent human rights violations, for example by partnering with universities.

Muhdi, Deputy Chair of DPD RI Committee I, said in Semarang on Thursday that anticipatory or preventive steps against human rights violations are essential.

“If possible, there should be no victims of human rights violations. Besides the perpetrators, the people we also need to educate are those who could potentially become victims,” he said.

He made the remarks during a working visit to the Central Java Regional Office of the Ministry of Human Rights to take stock of issues related to plans to revise Law Number 39 of 1999 on Human Rights.

According to him, the Ministry of Human Rights needs to intensively carry out outreach, strengthening and education to prevent potential human rights violations.

“It should not only be about helping once cases occur, but rather about how to ensure such things do not happen in the first place,” said Muhdi, who also chairs PGRI Central Java.

The Ministry of Human Rights could enlist students doing community service programmes (KKN) as human rights counsellors so that they can convey the message accurately to the public.

“Given its limited resources, the Ministry of Human Rights must not be left alone to provide greater outreach and information about human rights,” he said.

Mustafa Beleng, Head of the Ministry of Human Rights Regional Office for Central Java, said his office continues to instil human rights awareness across four clusters.

“Namely state civil apparatus, that is civil servants, the TNI, the National Police and public employees. Second, businesspeople. Third, communities, and fourth, the general public,” he said.

According to him, the general public cluster covers universities, schools and communities that will be given understanding and strengthening on human rights.

“Once those in the four clusters understand their rights, including their obligations, God willing, there will be no such thing as human rights violations,” he said.

In addition, his office handles reports or suspected cases of human rights violations that come in.

“The second matter relates to the handling of suspected human rights violations. In Central Java, we have already facilitated the handling of many human rights violations,” he said.