Human rights commission to open office in Irian

Human rights commission to open office in Irian

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights is
planning to open its second branch office, in Irian Jaya,
according to Munawir Sjadzali, chairman of the body.

Sjadzali, however, did not indicate when the office might
open.

He said the commission would first settle the manpower
problems dogging the East Timor office, the first opened outside
Jakarta, Antara reported.

"Only then could we think of taking more concrete steps to
open of a representative office in Irian Jaya," said Munawir, who
was elected chairman of the rights body a month ago.

The former minister of religious affairs and a respected
Moslem scholar, said the plan is high on his agenda of objectives
for the next five years.

Human rights violations, especially those related to land
disputes and the environment are rife in the province, he said.

The rights body is in need of experts on agrarian law and
labor law as many of the complaints filed to the commission
recently, Munawir said, are related to land and labor disputes.

But commission members Clementino dos Reis Amaral and Asmara
Nababan said the plan to open a representative office in Irian
Jaya has not been discussed.

"However, I think it is a good idea. In fact I believe ideally
the commission should have representative offices across the
country. The only constraint is the budget," Amaral told The
Jakarta Post yesterday.

He said it is actually the people who want the rights body to
open its representative office in their respective provinces.

"It's because people have learned that the House of
Representatives and provincial legislatures have not responded to
their aspirations and complaints," he said.

Asmara welcomed the idea to open a representative office in
Irian Jaya, arguing that there were many human rights violations
in the province. (08)