Marzuki elected to chair human rights commission

JAKARTA (JP): Marzuki Darusman was elected as the new chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights during a meeting on Saturday that also saw the appointment of six new members, the commission announced on Monday.

Marzuki, formerly the commission's deputy chairman, told reporters that the six new members were children's rights activist Nafsiah Mboi, former judges Sulistyowati Soegondo and Benyamin Mangkoedilaga, noted ulemas Ali Yafie and Said Agil Siradj, and Cornell-trained agricultural economist H.S. Dillon.

They took the places left vacant by former chairman Munawir Sjadzali, senior political scientist Miriam Budiardjo, lawyer Gani Djemat, Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, law professor Sri Soemantri and Minister of Justice Muladi.

Munawir, Miriam, Nurcholish and Sri Soemantri are being retained as advisers.

Clementino dos Reis Amaral was chosen as secretary-general to replace Baharuddin Lopa, and Djoko Soegianto and Bambang W. Soeharto were appointed as first and second deputy chairmen.

The 25-member commission was established by presidential decree in 1993 and has since been free to elect its own leaders without any official interference.

Marzuki is the commission's third chairman. He was elected to the post in spite of his growing involvement with Golkar, the country's dominant political organization. He is deputy chairman of Golkar and heads the group's faction in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Marzuki said the commission has established access to the top decision makers in the National Police and that communication with all provincial police forces "has been made much easier" as a result.

Marzuki said the new law on human rights currently being drafted by the government should further strengthen the commission.

"In the future, the commission will function as a court of justice to handle cases of human rights violations and I hope we will also be given the authority to summon witnesses," Marzuki said.

Dillon said separately on Monday that one of his main priorities was to fight for the rights of farmers.

"We have witnessed in the past that farmers are a group of people who are frequently discriminated against ... their rights are very often not respected.

"So, I think it is now high time that we started treating farmers as citizens with full rights," said the executive director of the Center for Agricultural Policy Analysis.

Nafsiah said she hoped that children's rights would get a higher profile on the national agenda.

"I hope to be able to contribute to the promotion and protection of children and their rights," Nafsiah, who is also a member of the United Nations Committee for the Rights of the Child, said. (byg)