Human rights integral for reform

JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of political parties said over the weekend that the protection of human rights was inseparable in the campaign for total reform.

The Justice and Unity Party (PKP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) said improving the protection of human rights required the reestablishment of sovereignty of the people.

Deputy chairwoman of the PKB Chofifah Indar Parawansa, on Sunday agreed that redistribution of power was necessary to help protect human rights and could be achieved by amending the 1945 Constitution, formerly considered a taboo subject.

"How could this country be a state based on law if the constitution gives too much a power to the president, while only granting a small amount of power to the judiciary?" she said.

Chofifah said the protection of human rights would take time.

"It will not be successful if current pro-status quo forces remain in power," she said, citing the unfinished probe into the shooting of four students on May 12 last year at Trisakti University.

Maintenance of human rights would only happen if the country could attract "people with integrity" into the area of law enforcement.

"And that must be advocated by the proreform forces," she said.

Chofifah said her party would campaign among other things for the protection of rights of citizens to choose their religion, citizens' rights to ownership, the right to express opinion, the guarantee of security.

PKB's platform states the party aims for a "democratic and egalitarian" society, "in which all citizens have equal access and opportunity to freely develop their individualities."

Chofifah added, "The party will fight to allow the formulation of necessary policies to allow those rights to be protected."

The Crescent Star Party (PBB) has explicitly stated the necessity for amendments to the constitution, such as limiting the power of the presidency.

Deputy chairman of the PKP Sutradara Ginting said on Friday that higher human rights protection required the reestablishment of people's sovereignty.

Balance

Ginting said it was not simply a matter of drawing up the necessary legislation, but also "the empowerment of society" to see such legislation implemented.

"Our public officers have been notorious for their low accountability, so it is not simply the matter of laws but also the matter of their enforcement."

Human rights protection would become embedded once a balance of power existed among the executive, the judiciary and the legislative bodies, he said.

"Public accountability must be upheld, because it is a matter of justice... and without justice, supremacy of the law is impossible to uphold."

Citing citizens' right to safety, he said many who had fled ahead of the elections should not be labeled "antinationalistic".

"It reflects the government's inability to provide security to citizens and create harmony within the society... it's a failure to uphold human rights."

Separately, chairman of the Islamic Community Party (PUI) Deliar Noer said on Friday the party considered the issue of human rights protection as "more a matter of willingness" from the coming new government.

Deliar said party legislators would study all relevant laws to seek a review if necessary.

"We'll work together with the Committee for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, the Legal Aid Foundation and the National Commission on Human Rights to help find roots of (rights-related) problems," he said.

Deliar said the party was yet to work out a detailed agenda on human rights.

On Sunday, Tohap Simanungkalit, chairman of the National Labor Party (PBN), spoke about labor rights protection.

He said the party would fight for industrial workers' salary to be specified by a law, instead of the current government regulation which many perceive as ineffective.

He said the regional minimum wage should no longer be based on workers' minimum physical needs, but should be based on a percentage of the total production cost.

PBN would fight for the right of workers to receive at least 20 percent of the total production cost toward their salary, he said.

The party would also fight for the eradication of illegal levies imposed on businesspeople, which eventually led to a "high cost economy" sacrificing workers' salary. (aan)