Komnas HAM members to resign

JAKARTA: At least six members of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) have refused to serve until 2003 and will submit their resignations in a plenary meeting on Tuesday, commission member Albert Hasibuan told reporters here on Friday.

The main agenda of the plenary meeting will be to decide on the rights commission's membership as their tenure should have ended in September 2001 based on a 1999 law.

One of the six members, who requested anonymity, said they would stick to their plan even though it would be agreed at the plenary meeting to allow the current 17 members to serve again. Final selection of commission members is in the hands of the House of Representatives.

The commission member said that there were various factors that had led to their decision to resign, citing health problems and a need for fresh faces.

"Moreover, 35 members would be too many," he said, referring to the new law that increases the members from 17 to 35.

"With that many members, there would be nothing left for some of us to do. Besides, I'm tired of the internal disputes between the members. I'd prefer to resign," he said.

The House is currently screening Komnas HAM member candidates and has refused to reinstall the current members without making them undergo the selection process. --JP