Komnas Perempuan's appeal

We welcome the response of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to the public demand that a presidential message be immediately issued to discuss the endorsement of the Bill Against Domestic Violence (RUU AKDRT). The President raised two problems, namely the preparedness of the law enforcement apparatus to support the law's implementation, and the near-to-expiry term of office of legislators, which prevents their optimal performance.

With regard to law enforcement, we, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), affirm that relevant institutions are more than prepared. There are 343 facilitating agencies comprising 206 special service rooms at police stations and 137 non-governmental organizations, which among other functions, provide victims with legal aid.

Based on a presidential instruction, Gender Focal Points have been set up in the National Police, the Attorney General's Office and the Supreme Court. All the institutions have established a cooperation program until 2006 with Komnas Perempuan and partners like Derap Warapsari, Convention Watch and LBH APIK to strengthen the law enforcement capacity of handling cases of violence against women.

As for the near-to-expiry office of members of the House of Representatives, we see no impediment to the issuance of a presidential message on RUU AKDRT. Indonesian women are waiting for the President's prompt action to meet the urgent need of legal protection for female victims of domestic violence. Finally, Komnas Perempuan and its partners look forward to a meeting with the President to deal with the matter.

KAMALA CHANDRAKIRANA Chairman Komnas Perempuan Jakarta