Habibie secures rights body's help

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)