House ends debate on truth commission

House ends debate on truth commission

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The House of Representatives (DPR) and the government wrapped up
on Monday their deliberations on the truth and reconciliation
commission bill following a half-hour, closed-door meeting
attended by faction leaders in the House.

"We shall submit a final draft to a plenary meeting scheduled
for Sept. 7," committee deputy chairman M. Akil Mochtar of Golkar
told the media after the meeting attended by 19 of 50 members of
the House special committee deliberating the bill.

The closed-door meeting discussed conditions that must be met
before the truth and reconciliation commission would recommend an
amnesty for perpetrators of human rights abuses.

After a half-hour talk, the lawmakers agreed to insert some
clauses into Article 29 of the bill.

As amended, it says that if victims of rights abuses refuse to
forgive suspected violators, the commission may make a
recommendation based on its own considerations.

In a situation where perpetrators refuse to admit their
wrongdoing, they will not be given amnesty and will be brought
before the ad hoc human right court.

Previously, the bill only provided a solution in a situation
where victims forgave human rights violators.

Article 28 box below says 29 of the bill states that the truth
commission can recommend amnesty only after human right abusers
admit their wrongdoing and their victims forgive them.

However, the article does not offer a solution in a situation
where victims refuse to forgive their abusers.

"This is the best outcome we can achieve," said Soewarno,
spokesman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
faction.

Soewarno added that his faction fully welcomed finalization of
the long-awaited bill.

Meanwhile, Nyoman Suwisma, spokesman of the Indonesian
Military/Police faction, said that the bill's endorsement would
not create problems for the nation.

In addition, National Awakening Party (PKB) spokesman Muhidin
suggested that the government would disseminate information on
the bill before establishing the reconciliation commission.

"The selection of commission members should be carried out
professionally," he said.

According to the bill, the President should form a selection
committee consisting of five members, two of whom are government
officials, with three others drawn from the public.

The committee then submits the names of 42 candidates to the
President who later selects 21 and submits them to the House for
approval.

The commission would work for five years with the possibility
of a two-year extension.

Key Articles

Article 29:

(1) In a situation where human right violators and their victims
forgive one another, the commission must recommend an amnesty.

(2) In a situation where human right violators admit facts and
regret their wrongdoing but their victims refuse to forgive them,
the commission can make recommendations based on its own
considerations.

(3) In a situation where human right violators refuse to admit
wrongdoing, they will not receive amnesty and will be brought
before the ad hoc court.

Article 43:
Gross human right violations settled by the commission cannot be
brought before the ad hoc human rights court.

Source: House special committee