'Gender not an issue in rights body's membership'

'Gender not an issue in rights body's membership'

SURABAYA (JP): National Commission on Human Rights member
Soetandyo Wignyosoebroto disregarded a colleague's suggestion
that the commission recruit women to fill four vacant posts.

"Gender is not a consideration in the composition of the
commission. We don't differentiate between the rights of women,
men or children," he told The Jakarta Post here yesterday.

Commission member Asmara Nababan said on Wednesday that the
posts left vacant following the deaths of four commission members
should be filled by women. Nababan said it is important to have
more women in the commission, given that out of the remaining 21
members, only 2 are women -- legislator Aisyah Amini and
political scientist Miriam Budiardjo.

Nababan had also stated an interest in recruiting human rights
activist and lawyer Nursjahbani Katjasungkana.

The commission members who died were Ali Said, Roekmini
Koesoemo Astoeti, Djoko Moeljono and A. Hamid Attamimi. Former
Irian Jaya governor Barnabas Suebu and Supreme Court Justice Adi
Andojo have been mentioned by some people as possible candidates.

"I think anybody can become a member, as long as they are
committed to human rights protection," said Soetandyo, who is
also a lecturer at Airlangga University, Surabaya, East Java.

"If we say that more women should be members, then there'll be
demands that we recruit from other groups, such as the Armed
Forces," Soetandyo said.

"Besides, there's no guarantee that women members will be more
concerned about women's problems," he said. "Men could be just as
concerned as women about the issue of women's rights."

In Semarang, Central Java, commission member Muladi rejected a
recent suggestion by Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher
that the commission recruit religious leaders.

"The commission isn't a representative body. If the idea is
implemented, it could encourage various groups to demand that
they're too represented in the commission," said Muladi, who is
also rector of Diponegoro University.

"What's important is that commission members have high
integrity. It doesn't matter where they're from, once they're
members, their background becomes irrelevant," he said.

"If we do have to appoint representatives from, say,
Indonesia's provinces, then I'd choose East Timor and Irian Jaya
because it's these two regions that still often see rights
violations," he said.

Tarmizi Taher argued that since universal human rights are
inseparable from religious values, ulemas and other religious
leaders should be represented in the commission.

Lukman Harun of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization supported
Tarmizi's call. "I believe it would be appropriate for the
commission to recruit ulemas, so that it really reflects this
country's diversity," he said. (27/har)