Human Rights body chairman to be elected

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights will elect its new leader early next month to replace Ali Said who died in June, its deputy chief Marzuki Darusman said yesterday.

"The commission will call a plenary meeting to elect a new chairperson in the first week of October," he told reporters after meeting with Winston Lord, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

According to Marzuki, the future chairperson is likely be elected from the current commission members, as the body's statutes stipulate.

Marzuki and the commission's secretary-general Baharuddin Lopa have often been mentioned as prospective chairs.

Lopa, however, has refused to be nominated as the commission's chair but would not say why. Marzuki has, on various occasions, said he does not covet the position but has not made it clear whether he would refuse it if offered.

"Members of the commission have also agreed that they would not nominate figures from outside the commission, though outsiders can nominate anyone they like," Marzuki said.

In November the 25-person commission is scheduled to replace its three members who died since it was formed by the government in 1993.

Commission officials yesterday briefed visiting Lord on the July 27 riots in Jakarta behind closed doors.

They said three "substantial" issues were discussed in the 90- minute meeting. They explained to their guests the term "missing" used in their interim report on their investigation into the riots.

"Those described as missing implies that their whereabouts is unknown, they are not necessarily dead," Marzuki said, adding that a new list comprising recent updates of the findings would soon be announced.

The government claimed there were four deaths, 26 injuries and some 200 arrests during the July 27 riot while the commission found that five people died, 149 were injured and 74 are missing.

The commission's report upset the government, which has requested more evidence on the findings. The reaction is widely seen as the displeasure over the content of the report.

"On the contrary, it is precisely because the government wanted accurate and trustworthy information that they asked us to recheck our findings," Marzuki said.

According to Marzuki, the number of missing people has decreased slightly because some of those originally classified as missing have been in contact with their families. Marzuki did not elaborate.

In Ujungpandang, Lopa told The Jakarta Post that the commission would not withdraw its report despite the government's strong reaction.

"Of course the number could change, we might revise it but we will not retract the announcement," Lopa said.

Another commission member, A. Baramuli, said in Jakarta that the commission also told the guest delegation that it has fostered a good working relationship with the Armed Forces.

"The Armed Forces has changed from only administratively treating the commission's findings to punishing officers found guilty of human rights violations," he said.

Commission members also affirmed their commitment to announce more findings on the July 27 riots until the final report is publish.

"The commission has not set any deadline. We will accept every complaint," commission member Asmara Nababan said.

He said that the commission has not received a formal request to investigate the 1984 Tanjung Priok tragedy in which the number of fatalities has never been clarified.

Relatives of the victims are planning to ask the commission to open an investigation into the incident. (14/16/35)