Human Rights Conscious Village: Protecting Citizens' Rights from Behind the Service Desk
For years, administrative matters at government institutions have often been associated with illegal levies. There remains a perception that services can be processed more quickly if citizens provide ‘something’ outside official regulations. Conversely, without additional money, administrative processes become slower and more convoluted.
The Government of Kalurahan Bangunharjo, Kapanewon Sewon, Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, is attempting to break that perception. Before and after being selected as the only Human Rights Conscious Village in Bantul Regency this year, the kalurahan has continued to ensure that every citizen receives fast, easy, accurate, and bribery-free services.
This commitment is not merely conveyed in slogans but is also felt by the community accessing services. In a conversation with Republika, Lurah Bangunharjo Nur Hidayat explained how Kalurahan Bangunharjo came to be selected as a Human Rights Conscious Village. The programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Rights aimed at developing villages so they can implement human rights values in public services.
Hidayat explained that the designation was under the authority of Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih. The kalurahan government was not fully aware of all the assessment aspects used. Nevertheless, Bangunharjo has been carrying out service reforms by making excellent service one of its priorities.
According to him, excellent service has been implemented as part of the regional government’s mandate. Positive assessments from the community accessing services also serve as an indicator that services in Kalurahan Bangunharjo are running well.
Hidayat said that excellent service is not merely an effort to improve bureaucratic quality. Easy, fast, and fair services are part of fulfilling the basic rights of the community. From that perspective, public services also have a direct connection to respect for human rights.
Before participating in the Human Rights Conscious Village training and socialisation, the kalurahan officials’ understanding of human rights was still limited to major issues appearing in national news. Hidayat acknowledged that human rights had previously been understood more in the context of gross violations and the struggles of human rights figures. However, after receiving explanations from the Ministry of Human Rights, the kalurahan government understood that the implementation of human rights also encompasses various aspects of daily life, including public services and social programmes reaching vulnerable groups.
Fulfilling citizens’ rights, Hidayat continued, can be realised through various simple actions that the kalurahan government has long undertaken. One of them is visiting elderly residents who live alone and have no family members to provide food assistance.
Kalurahan Bangunharjo also runs a programme providing food for the elderly every morning. This programme has been implemented as a form of social concern. However, after gaining an understanding of the Human Rights Conscious Village concept, the kalurahan government realised that these efforts are also part of fulfilling citizens’ rights.
Hidayat said this understanding opened a new perspective that human rights are not only related to freedom or legal issues, but also concern the government’s obligation to ensure that citizens receive proper services and protection.
One of the issues closest to community life is slow and convoluted public services. In some cases, processes that should be easy become complicated due to the behaviour of officials who do not provide professional services.
Hidayat said such practices can ultimately encourage illegal levies. Citizens may feel compelled to provide additional money so their affairs are expedited, even though the service should be available free of charge.
He gave the example of the old mindset that processing letters or administration can proceed more quickly if there is a payment outside official regulations. He confidently assured that Kalurahan Bangunharjo is working to build a commitment for all officials to provide fast, accurate, and bribery-free services.
If levies are collected outside official regulations by individual officials, such practices can be categorised as violations of citizens’ rights. To ensure the bribery-free commitment is implemented, the kalurahan government continues to strengthen supervision and internal discipline among its officials.