'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)