Indonesia to ratify human rights pacts
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will begin a five-year National Action Plan on Human Rights later this month in an attempt to better its much maligned international image on rights issues.
President B.J. Habibie will officially launch the program, to include ratification of several United Nations' conventions, on June 25 to coincide with the 1993 Vienna Action Plan Declaration.
"We hope that we can strongly impress the world with our sincere and strong will to move forward and protect human rights," Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told journalists after meeting with Habibie at Bina Graha presidential office here yesterday.
During the campaign, the government will speed up its efforts to promote human rights awareness both among citizens and government officials.
"We will regularly ratify several conventions which we have already signed but not ratified, including the antitorture one," Alatas said.
Indonesia has only ratified the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights. It has signed the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, but its ratification is still pending.
Two other major conventions still to be signed by Indonesia are the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Alatas also hinted that two East Timorese who have sought refuge at the Austrian Embassy here would not be permitted to leave for Portugal without first facing a police investigation.
Nuno Vicente Pereira Saldanha and Avelino Maria Coelho da Silva are wanted for questioning and face possible charges in relation to bomb-making in Demak, Central Java, last year.
Along with Avelino's wife and his two small children, the men entered the Austrian Embassy last September and demanded asylum in Portugal, the former colonial power in East Timor.
"Avelino and his friend, based on information and evidence we have, were possibly involved in the manufacturing of bombs," Alatas said.
The Semarang District Court acquitted four Timorese youths earlier this month who were facing the same charges because there was no strong evidence they produced the bombs.
Alatas said Avelino and da Silva would be free to travel to Portugal if the police investigation found them innocent.
Riots
Separately yesterday, dozens of activists from Volunteers for Humanity and relatives of last month's riot victims visited the National Commission on Human Rights here to urge increased pressure for a probe into accusations the unrest was organized.
"There has not been any effort from the government to reveal who was really behind the riots," Rita Serena Kolibonso said before rights body members Clementino dos Reis Amaral and B.N. Marbun.
Rita, who is also coordinator of a team of lawyers for justice (TPHKI) and executive director of women's rights group Mitra Perempuan, criticized the government for failing to express sympathy to next of kin of those who died.
Most fatalities were people trapped in blazes in shopping centers.
The government has quoted a "conservative" figure of about 500 deaths, but the Volunteers of Humanity in a detailed report claims 1,200 people were killed.
Rita charged the government had summarily dismissed all those who died as looters.
In a eight-page report, the group stated that many victims were children who inadvertently became involved in the unrest.
"My little brother was only there to play," Bambang Wahyu, 24, said of his 14-year-old brother who died inside a burning shopping center in Klender, East Jakarta.
Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi alleged last week that different reports supported a common pattern on how the riots began.
He cited witnesses who said they saw gangs of people arrive in trucks and buses to foment the rioting and looting before moving on to other areas.
"This is not just an emotional conclusion but results of an investigation which was based on information from witnesses," said Palupi from the Volunteers for Humanity. (prb/byg)