Habibie secures rights body's help

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie secured the assistance of the National Commission on Human Rights yesterday to help ensure credibility for his reform efforts by allowing them to form a special working group to monitor the implementation of reform programs.

During a meeting, which lasted over an hour, Habibie agreed to a proposal from six senior commission members to set up a team to assist the government in eradicating corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung, who also attended the meeting, told journalists that the formation and selection of the Working Group on National Reform would be "fully entrusted to the commission".

Commission vice chairman Marzuki Darusman said the working group would also be regarded as part of the effort to mobilize wide public participation in the reform process.

The other five commission members attending the meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office were A.A. Baramuli, Miriam Budiardjo, Baharuddin Lopa, Sumantri and Koesparmono Irsan.

However, they provided scant detail on how the working group would function or who would be selected as its members.

Since being elected president last month, Habibie has been working hard to secure cooperation from recognized public figures on his reform efforts.

He initially invited a group of six notable figures, which included opposition figures Amien Rais and Emil Salim, to form a working group to help draw up concepts for reform.

Amien quickly backed out, saying he did not want to give the impression of being coopted, while Emil said last week that he and the others would be distancing themselves from Habibie.

Emil expressed discontent that Habibie had apparently gone back on a pledge that elections would be held in the near future, after the President announced that polls would be held next year.

Emil immediately urged Habibie to hold polls in December.

"His (Habibie) pledge should not be like an elastic band, which can be stretched," said Emil asserted.

During the meeting with Habibie yesterday, commission members again stressed to him the need to hold early elections as part of the process to speedily restore international confidence in Indonesia.

Marzuki said Habibie again maintained that more time was needed to overcome the complex problems of preparing for the elections.

"We can understand and see the need for (more) time for a good and effective preparation of new political parties to participate in the elections," Marzuki remarked.

Prisoners

The commission also received assurances from Habibie yesterday that more political prisoners would be released, including those from East Timor.

Habibie then directed further discussion on the issue to be held with the minister of justice.

"We will discuss more at length with the minister of justice about the number to be released and the criteria," Marzuki said while explaining that the commission's definition of political prisoners were those who had been detained after 1965 on politically connected charges.

Separately, Minister of Justice Muladi said the government would free at least 10 political prisoners this week.

During a morning briefing with reporters, he initially said 10 would be released, but later in the afternoon he claimed that 16 would be freed.

A formal announcement of names is expected tomorrow.

Muladi said those to be released would include prisoners who were arrested on defamation and East Timor-related charges.

Muladi, however, refused to identify names and quickly retorted that East Timor separatist leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao would not be included.

The government has maintained that it would not release prisoners who were involved with Communist activities, attempted to alter the national ideology or were sentenced under criminal charges.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with Habibie, Muladi said the government would also cautiously study the possibility of freeing members of the People's Democratic Party (PRD).

"We will study them case by case," Muladi noted.

Since the fall of Soeharto on May 21, the government has released four prominent political prisoners, including labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan and former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas, and dropped charges against four East Timorese and three female activists.

The ministry says at least 194 political prisoners are still locked up in prisons throughout the country.

About 100 protesters staged a peaceful rally outside the ministry yesterday morning demanding the prisoners' immediate release.

Some of them were then allowed to meet Muladi who was still briefing journalists. (byg/prb)